Chelsea
by ThePenIsMighty
Summary: McGee gets a surprise one morning, and suddenly life is not the same. Protecting a little girl is rough, but it is even tougher when she calls you "Daddy." Now McGee has choices to make, and why do they include Ziva? Completed.
1. It's A Story Of A Little Girl

McGee sat in his favorite coffee shop to write a little. His editor, a new one, was riding his ass to complete the next tale of L.J. Tibbs. So he was spending the last few moments of his free time battling writers block.

"Sir?"

McGee looked up to see one of the coffee waitress standing next to him, holding the hand of a little girl, about two.

"Your wife had to run and told me to give you your daughter and this note."

Before McGee could get over the initial shock, the waitress had left, leaving the little girl. The blond haired girl just stared at him with piercing blue eyes.

"Uh," McGee said to the silent girl, "just second."

McGee opened the note.

_Dear Tim McGee,_

_I know you, you don't know me. And, you aren't the father, but I have watched you and decided you'd make a good father. Her name is Chelsea Anne. She is two years and three months old. All her medical stuff and birth certificate is in the mail._

_Take good care of her._

"What!?" McGee said loudly, causing the coffee shop to become silent, "Uh, sorry."

So McGee went to the only people he could. The team.

"Where is McGee!?" Gibbs barked, entering the bullpen.

"Late!" Tony gladly offered.

"I know _that_ DiNozzo." Gibbs said, sitting at his desk, "But _where_."

"Ok. I don't know." Tony said, wincing.

"Obviously." Ziva said from her desk.

"Sorry I'm late!" McGee said, running out of the elevator.

But Gibbs couldn't yell at him. He was staring at the little girl in McGee's arms.

"Who is your little friend?" Ziva asked him, the first to recover.

"Her name is Chelsea." McGee said nervously.

"Where did you get her?" asked Gibbs, still a little dazed, but hell if he'd show it.

"Read this boss." McGee said, handing Gibbs the note, "She was left with me at the coffee shop."

Gibbs read the note and gave a frustrated sigh.

"Go see if Abby can lift any prints." Gibbs said, "Ziva will watch her. Tony, scrape your jaw off the floor and call the local LEO's."

McGee hurried off, Ziva held Chelsea, and Gibbs started towards the Director's office. But Tony was yet to move.

"DiNozzo!"

"Sorry Boss!" Tony said shaking his head, "I just had this weird hallucination that McGee brought a kid in with him."

Gibbs just smacked the back of his head.

"Somebody gave you a WHAT!" Abby yelled, waving the note around.

"A little girl named Chelsea." McGee told her for the second time, " And this note. Can you look for prints?"

"What a stupid question." Abby said glaring, "Of course I can. It's what I do!"

"I know." McGee said, tiredly.

"Who all has touched it so I can eliminate them?" Abby asked, clicking away on her keyboard.

"A waitress, me, Gibbs, and you." McGee said, counting off on his fingers.

"I will find this deserter!" Abby vowed, "No one just throws a baby out on my watch.

McGee's cell rang before he could point out that she never wore a watch.

"McGee."

"_It is Ziva." _she said, crying noises in the background,_ "Chelsea keeps asking for her father and pointing at your desk."_

"It sounds like a couple of babies are crying." McGee said, riding in the elevator.

"_Oh, that is Tony. He says he has a headache."_

McGee laughed as he exited on his floor.

"Probie," Tony said, leaning back in his chair, "I wasn't crying, DiNozzo's don't cry."

"Daddy!" Chelsea cried, running to him, almost knocking him over with the force of her hug.

"Hey Chelsea." McGee said, his heart melting at her earnest blue eyes and lopsided pigtails.

"Chelsea?" Ziva asked, kneeling in front of her, "How do you know this is your daddy?"

Chelsea blinked at her, then pulled a picture out of the front of her overalls.

"Mommy said he was my daddy. He is my daddy!" Chelsea said, beginning to panic.

McGee scooped her up, not wanting the girl to cry. He put his hand on the picture Chelsea gripped in her tiny hands.

"Chels," he said, not ignoring the fact that he had given her a nickname, "Can daddy see his picture?"

Chelsea nodded, then buried her face in his shoulder. McGee looked at the picture. It was taken from a distance. It was of him at a table in the park, where he sometimes did writing.

"McGee?"

"Here." he said, handing it to Ziva, Tony looking over his shoulder.

"This is just a writing spot." McGee said.

A light snore from his shoulder made him smile. He motioned to Ziva and Tony that he was taking Chelsea to Abby's futon in her lab.

"Gear up!"

"Where to, Boss?" Tony asked, rushing to gather his things.

"Georgetown, a dead Petty Officer." Gibbs said, leading the trio into the elevator.

Gibbs drove like a mad man as usual.

"Did you get Abby to run DNA on Chelsea?" Gibbs asked, swerving away from a dump truck at the last second.

"Yeah." McGee said, cringing, "There were no prints on the note or anything else."

"How about the photo?" Ziva yelled over an orchestra of car horns.

"Only ours and Chelsea's" McGee yelled back.

With a screech of the tires, Gibbs parked. The Petty Officer was on the loading dock of a warehouse.

"Her name is Petty Officer Hannah Jones, age 23." an officer told Gibbs as the team came up.

"Let's have a look-see." Ducky said, pulling out a liver probe.

"Ziva! Photos! Tony! Bag and tag!"

"On it, Boss!" Tony shouted in Ziva's ear.

"Boss! Ziva punched me."

"Well, I'll shoot you if you don't get busy." Gibbs told Tony, silencing him with a glare.

"And me, Boss?" McGee asked.

"Figure out who owns this Warehouse." Gibbs said, "And find out what it's for."

McGee scurried away. Gibbs turned to Ducky.

"What do you have Duck?"

"Well Jethro," Ducky said, removing the liver probe, "liver temperature puts her death at about 18 hours ago."

"What do you think happened?" Gibbs asked, motioning for Palmer to bring the gurney.

"Well, I cannot be certain," Ducky said, rising, "But it looks as though she was stabbed straight through the gut."

"She isn't in uniform." Tony pointed out.

"McGee!"

"Yeah Boss?"

"It is your job to find out who she belongs too and DNA stuff."

"No problem, Boss!"

Little did he know how wrong he was.

"Abby," McGee said, hurrying into the lab, Tony and Ziva hot on his heels, "what's wrong? Is it Chelsea?"

"Where's Gibbs?" She asked ignoring him.

"Right here Abs." Gibbs said, waving a Calf-POW in the air.

"Where is Chelsea!?" McGee hissed.

"She is with the director, geez Timmy." Abby said, waving her finger in his face.

"Abs." Gibbs said, "Your emergency?"

"Petty Officer Hannah Jones' DNA matches someone we know." Abby said waving her hands excitedly.

"Not playing guessing games Abby." Gibbs told her, threatening to take her drink away.

"Petty Officer Hannah Jones is the mother of Chelsea." Abby said triumphantly, "She gave her up for Chelsea's safety!"

"But why McGee?" Gibbs asked, "And what danger was Chelsea being protected from?"

PHOOMPH!

CHELSEA

CHAPTER ONE

IT'S A STORY OF LITTLE GIRL


	2. Perfectionists Unite!

-1Authors note: Thanks for the reviews and alerts. A few things: Jenny is still alive (Yay!), I really don't know about the baby DNA (I was trying to recall from Law & Order) and I have absolutely no idea about navy ranks. I could use some help. Just ask if you have any questions. And I still can't figur out the paragraph breaks. PS. All characters do not belong to me, only little Chelsea.

If there was one thing that was certain in McGee's life, it was the little voice in his head that sounded a lot like Gibbs.

_I don't believe in coincidences._

McGee had spent the rest of the morning re-tracing his steps. He just couldn't figure out where he could have possibly met Petty Officer Jones.

"Where is Gibbs?"

McGee looked up at Ducky, who was bouncing on his toes.

"I'm right here Ducky," Gibbs said, entering the bullpen, "What do 'ya got?"

Ducky's face was grim as he handed Gibbs a file. By then the three younger agents had crowed around them.

"Miss Jones, as you know, died from being stabbed in the stomach," Ducky told them, "But, she was not the only one killed."

It took a moment to realize what Ducky meant.

"She was pregnant." Gibbs stated, his eyes darkening.

"How far along was she?" Ziva asked, her heart hurting.

"From the size of the fetus," Ducky said, referring to the file, "She was two months pregnant."

"Well," McGee said, speaking for the first time, "That be part of the reason she is dead."

"Is the baby's DNA with Abby?" Gibbs asked.

Ducky nodded. There was times he hated his job. Children, to him, were a blessing of innocence, for a little while. He hated to see the pain flash in Jethro's eyes, knowing he was thinking of his little girl. It hurt him to watch Abby try to grasp some sort of innocence. Tony and Ziva both made a lost child a vendetta for justice. And Ducky watched McGee take out a picture of his sister to motivate him, not that motivation was needed to solve a crime against children.

"Are you alright Ducky?"

"Oh," the elderly man said, coming out of his thoughts, "Yes Ziva, I'm alright."

_As well as a Medical Examiner could be in a cruel world._

"Abby?" Gibbs called, entering her lab.

He noticed right away that Abby was upset. Instead of her usual eardrum blowing, so-called music, a dirge was playing. And Abby was staring blankly at her screens, hugging Bert the Farting Hippo tightly. Even though it was a sad sight, Gibbs couldn't help but smile a little. Kelly would have done the same thing.

"Abby?" he tried again, sitting in the chair next to her.

Her dark eyes pierced his.

"It was a _baby_ Gibbs." she said quietly.

She wanted him to know exactly why it had happened. No matter what he said, Abby had always thought he was omniscient.

"I don't know why Abbs."

"Boss?" Tony said, poking his head in the lab.

"What DiNozzo?" Gibbs snapped.

"McGee figured out where he met Hannah Jones."

Gibbs looked at Abby.

"Go Gibbs," she said, wiping away some stray tears, "Let's get this bastard and boil him!"

Gibbs gave her a kiss on her cheek, glad she felt better, even if she was planning a cruel and unusual punishment.

"So what do you have McGee?" Gibbs barked, entering the bull pen with Tony hot on his heels.

"Remember when I taught at the Norfolk base for a week?" McGee asked excitedly.

Gibb blinked at him.

"Uh- well, anyway," McGee stuttered, "She was one of the students. She even came and asked questions."

"She ask any personal questions?" Gibbs asked.

"Um- yeah," McGee said sheepishly, "I just thought she was, er, interested in me."

Ziva shot Tony a warning glare before he could crack a joke.

"Ziva, McGee, you're with me." Gibbs said, grabbing his gear, "Tony, you and Abby figure out Hannah's past. We're going to visit Petty Officer Jones' commanding officer."

"Is Chelsea still with the Director?" McGee asked.

Gibbs nodded, noting curiously that McGee seemed to be taken with the blond haired girl.

"Move!" he barked.

"Commander Pike?"

"Enter." said the tall, husky middle aged man, "How can I help you?"

"NCIS, I'm Special Agent Gibbs." he said flashing his badge, "These are Special Agents McGee and David."

"Commander James Pike," Pike said, shaking Gibbs hand, "How can I help NCIS?"

"Do you know a Petty Officer Hannah Jones?" Gibbs asked.

"Yes," Pike said, "she is one of my people. Why?"

"When was the last time you saw her Commander Pike?" McGee asked, hand poised over his notepad.

"Monday," Pike said, looking confused, "two days ago. She has Tuesdays and Wednesdays off."

"Did she seem alright?" Ziva asked.

"Yes," Pike said, "what is going on Agents?"

"Petty Officer Hannah Jones was murdered two days ago Commander." Gibbs said.

Commander Pike blanched. He sat down.

"She is dead?"

"Commander," Ziva said, "was there anyone she was especially close to? A boyfriend maybe?"

"I don't know about a boyfriend." Pike said, looking pained, "She is close to two of my other people. Lt. Joy Thomas and Petty Officer Camilla Webster. They always eat lunch together."

"Are they here?" McGee asked.

Commander Pike just pointed to two red-headed women sitting in desks next to each other. Gibbs nodded for Ziva and McGee to question them. After they left Gibbs sat in a chair in front of the commander's desk.

"What kind of person was Hannah Jones, Commander Pike?"

"Jones was a hardworking woman." Pike said, "She arrived on time, she got her work done and others' work done."

"She have any problems with co-workers." Gibbs said, leaning forward.

"No!" Pike exclaimed, acting as though he'd been slapped, "Everyone loved Hannah. The women came to her for advice, hell, I came to her for advice."

Gibbs nodded.

"And the men?"

"The men think of her as a little sister." Pike said, "They respect her and protect her."

"She needed to be protected."

"No," Pike said shaking his head, "Jones held her own, but that was the type of relationship."

"Any of your men or others act more than 'brotherly'?"

"Not that I saw Agent Gibbs."

Agent Gibbs was a male. So was Commander Pike.

"Any of these 'brothers' could possibly fall for her Commander." Gibbs said, standing, "I think I'll check around."

Meanwhile, Ziva and McGee were questioning Lt. Joy Thomas and Petty Officer Camilla Webster.

"I cannot believe she's dead." Lt. Thomas said, tears running down her face.

"Did you know Hannah's daughter Chelsea?" McGee asked, handing her a tissue.

"Her what?" exclaimed Webster.

"You didn't know she had a daughter?" Ziva asked suspiciously.

"I think I would have remembered that Agent David!" Webster said, purposely mispronouncing Ziva's last name.

"It is pronounced _Dah-Veed_."

"So," McGee said, jumping in quickly, "I imagine she didn't tell you she was pregnant."

"Noooo!" Lt. Thomas wailed.

McGee had to do something quick. He could tell Ziva was getting frustrated with both women.

"Did Hannah have a boyfriend?" McGee asked, stepping between the distraught women and Ziva.

"No," Lt. Thomas said, sniffling, "she always said that she just didn't have time for men."

"Anybody harass her?"

Both women shook their heads. They gave Ziva and McGee the same account Gibbs had gotten about Hannah Jones' work ethic and relationship with co-workers.

"Thank you." McGee said, handing them each a card, "If you think of anything else give us a call. I am sorry for your loss."

"They did not know she was a mother." Ziva said to McGee as they walked down the hall to meet up with Gibbs, "I thought they were best friends."

"Weird."

"No boss." DiNozzo said, on the phone with Gibbs, "Her military records held no information on Chelsea. I _am_ looking! On it Boss."

Abby smiled as Tony snapped his phone shut with a frustrated sigh.

"Boss says to look deeper, whatever the hell that means."

"I can do that." Abby said, tapping away on her keyboard.

"_I can do that_." Tony mimicked in a teenaged preppy voice.

"Oh my God!" Abby exclaimed with a shiver, "NEVER do that again!"

"Petty Officer Hannah Jones is 23 years old, no criminal record, pristine military record, sends three emails a week to an 89 year old uncle, works out four days of the week." Tony muttered loudly, "She is a freakin' poster girl for Perfectionists Unite."

"Is there such a magazine?" Abby asked, curious.

"Of course not!" he snapped, "I didn't know what else to say."

"How 'bout 'I know who killed our Petty Officer.'" Gibbs said entering the lab with McGee and Ziva, "Abby, did you get any other hits on the baby's father."

"Sorry Gibbs," Abby said, "paternity shows up later in the baby's DNA.'

"She is perfect Gibbs," Tony said, "I cannot find any connections."

"She is _not_ perfect DiNozzo." Gibbs said, glaring, "She abandoned her child and got into some sort of trouble along the way."

Ziva, Tony, Abby, and McGee just stared at each other sadly. Gibbs glared at them, but they didn't move.

"Go find out what the trouble was!"

In a split second, Abby started tapping on her keyboard, McGee doing the same next to her. Ziva and Tony sprinted behind Gibbs to the elevator. Ziva was calling contacts while Tony talked with the local LEO's and some buddies in Baltimore. Gibbs smiled a satisfied smile to himself. Yeah, they were whipped.

_PHOOMPH! _


	3. Never Let Her Go

Author's note: This chapter is a little more on the fluffy side. And I pray that I can keep them in character for the most part. Again, I own nothing but Chelsea. If I owned more, Tony and Ziva woulda been hitched with their sixth or seventh child on the way. Sorry if I am lat updating, my lap top power cord has decided to die and it will be Wednesday before the new one gets here.

It was about 9:30 when Jenny brought Chelsea down to Abby's lab. McGee didn't even notice until he felt a pair of arms wrap around his knees.

"Hi Chelsea."

"Hi daddy." she said as he picked her up.

McGee stared at her. His feelings were crazy. This beautiful child called him 'daddy' and he _liked _it. A lot.

"Why don't you take her home McGee." Jenny said, stroking Chelsea's back as she snuggled into McGee's arms.

"I only have one bedroom and not much room." McGee said sadly.

"Stay with me."

McGee was certain it was Abby's jaw that hit the floor.

Nope. It was his.

But who could blame him._ Ziva David_ just asked him to stay at her home.

"I have three bedrooms." she explained, putting her long curls in ponytail, "I bought the house as-is and there is a little bed for a child."

Jenny and Abby had been watching this exchange intensely. It was better than cable.

"Alright."

Jenny and Abby let a breath of air out.

"You both get Chelsea settled. We will deal with everything in the morning." Jenny said, "I'll deal with Jethro."

McGee and Ziva merely nodded in her direction. Ziva led him out of the lab talking about her apartment.

"It may take a few hours for that to sink in." Abby said after the elevator closed.

Jenny just chuckled, then froze.

"A few hours for _what_ to sink in, _Jen_?"

McGee had to admit, he expected Ziva's apartment to be different than it was. It was homey, comfortable. He knew in the back of his mind he thought her home would be more of a torture chamber, with guns and clubs hanging on the wall.

"I do not bludgeon house guests, McGee."

McGee knew his ears were turning red. He should have remembered that she would be good at reading him.

"Where do I put Chelsea to bed?" he asked, changing the subject.

Ziva looked at the little girl asleep in McGee's arms. It looked, sort of, natural.

"Zee?"

"Oh! Of course!" Ziva said, leading him to a child's room that had been left furnished.

After settling Chelsea, McGee ventured into Ziva's kitchen where she was cooking something on the stove. He was startled at the sight of her so domesticated.

"Isn't a little late to be cooking?" He asked, sitting at the island in the middle of the kitchen.

"This is what I do if I am not tired." she said, continuing to stir whatever she was making.

McGee knew she was a good cook. He had been to dinner with the team at her house before, but had yet to _see_ her cook.

Until now.

"I can tell you are thinking hard." Ziva said, pouring the contents of her pan into a strainer, "I can see steam coming out of your ears."

McGee chuckled, some of the tension he was feeling fading away.

"Smoke," he said still smiling, "smoke is coming out of my ears."

"Oh, whatever." Ziva said, setting the drained noodles back on stove, "What were you thinking about?"

"Chelsea." he lied, well sort of, because she was on his mind as well.

"You like her." It wasn't a question.

Taking a plate of pasta, he ventured into the dining room, followed by Ziva. They ate in silence for a couple of minutes. Suddenly, McGee let out a soft growl of frustration.

"Am I crazy?" McGee asked, his eyes desperately seeking answers.

"Huh?" Ziva was actually startled.

"Am I crazy to want to be a father!?" he said, standing and starting to pace, "Is it crazy that I want to be _Chelsea's_ father!?

Ziva stared at him, a little stunned by McGee's out-of-character explosion. McGee took her hesitance as a negative answer.

"Oh god." he said, pacing faster, "I am stupid. What was-"

"McGee!" Ziva exclaimed, cutting him off, "You would be a wonderful father and it is not crazy! I want to be a parent too!"

Now it was McGee's turn to be stunned. He knew by the look on her face, she hadn't meant to reveal that last sentence.

"Some pair we are." he said.

Ziva nodded in agreement, actually exhausted from revealing such a thing. They ate the rest of their dinner in a mutual silence. They didn't even wish each other good night. They were buried in their thoughts.

McGee felt something shaking him awake.

"Daddy?" came a soft voice.

McGee opened his eyes a crack to see the clock. 2:23 am. He closed his eyes again.

"Daddy?"

_Who the hell is calling me 'daddy' at 2:23 frickin am?_

"Daddy!" the voice cried out louder.

Then it all rushed back to him.

"Chelsea?" McGee grumbled, sitting up.

The little blond climbed up on his bed and snuggled to him.

"What's the matter Chels?" he asked her, stifling a yawn.

"Bad dream." she said, burying her face in his shoulder.

At first McGee was sort of stuck as what to do. Then he remembered how his mom made his bad dreams go away.

Rubbing her back, she fell asleep in no time. Not having the energy to put her back to bed, he fell asleep holding her.

Ziva's alarm clock went off at 4:30 as it did everyday. Ziva felt 'off' the whole day if she didn't go for her 5 o'clock run. She threw on her running outfit and shoes and headed to the kitchen. She froze when she heard snoring.

She almost had reached for her gun when she recalled who was there. She couldn't help herself, so she peeked into McGee's room.

The sight she saw was so heartwarming, she actually felt the threat of tears. Chelsea was snuggled in McGee's arms, and it wasn't lost on Ziva how strong McGee was holding her, as though he would never let her go.

As Ziva started jogging she realized something.

_He may not let her go._

And Ziva was pretty sure she could never lose that little girl either.

_PHOOMPH!_


	4. Serial Survivor

"Boss!"

"What DiNozzo?"

"I think I found an ex-boyfriend of Hannah Jones!"

Gibbs looked up at Tony's eager face.

"_Think_?"

"His name is Henry Lowell." McGee said, using the clicker to show the facts on the suspect, "He has a record for assault, theft and has a restraining order against him."

"Did Jones file it?" Ziva asked.

"Nope!" Tony said, snatching the clicker from McGee, "It was filed three years ago by the then-22-year-old Petty Officer Camilla Webster."

"Boss! Ziva and I interviewed Webster at Jones' base." McGee said.

"And she was not very upset." Ziva said, recalling the woman's hostility.

"McGee, Tony! Go talk to Webster." Gibbs said, tossing McGee the keys, "Ziva and I are going to talk to family members."

"Tony! Knock it off!" McGee yelled for the third time, "I can't drive with the music so loud!"

"You can't drive at all!"

McGee was grateful when they arrived.

"Agent McGee!"

"Commander Pike, this is Special Agent DiNozzo."

"Have you found Jones' killer?" he asked, shaking Tony's hand.

"No sir," McGee said, "But we'd like to see if Petty Officer Camilla Webster could answer a few more questions."

Nodding, Pike led them over to the Petty Officer.

"Petty Officer Webster?"

"Oh Agent McGee and-" she paused with a flirty smile

"Senior Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo." he said, flashing her his signature smile.

"Anyway," McGee said, "We need you to tell us about Henry Lowell."

"That bastard!?"

McGee cringed at her tone. _Hell hath no fury…_

"You filed a restraining order against him."

"Hell yeah!" Webster said, "The man obviously was at the top of his Stalking 101 class. I went on one date with him and he want to get me _pregnant_!"

"Yikes." Tony said, "He just followed you around?"

"Yeah," Webster answered, folding her arms across her chest, "and he only stopped when he was threatened with jail time."

"Did you know if Lowell dated Hannah?" McGee asked.

"Like I said," Webster shrugged, "she said she had no time for men. And I just couldn't see her with Henry."

"Why's that?" Tony asked.

"Someday she wanted picket fences, 2.5 children, and loving husband. But she always talked about waiting until she was 28, or something like that."

"Thank you Petty Officer Webster."

In the parking lot, McGee and Tony talked over the hood of the car.

"_Nice to meet you. What's your favorite color? Have my baby._" Tony said in a creepy high pitched voice.

"I have this feeling we're on to something bigger, Tony."

Sighing they both got in the car. And as Tony was pulling out of the parking lot, McGee's phone rang.

"McGee."

Tony watched the color drain from McGee's face as he said 'uh-huh' to whoever was on the line.

"What is it Probie?"

"Tony," McGee cleared his throat, "another woman was stabbed in the stomach."

"Was she pregnant?" Tony asked, his throat tightening.

"They think at least five months." McGee said softly.

As they stopped at red light, Tony hit his fist against the steering wheel, making the horn honk and causing the guy in the car next to them to flip them off. McGee quickly put his hand over Tony's gun holster.

"We need you on the case, not in prison."

Gibbs rubbed his temples. They were at the second crime scene and they had nothing. Well a suspect, but dammit! Five months pregnant! Murdered in a drainage ditch along the highway. Petty Officer Angela Gaits was only 21.

"Jethro?"

"What do you got Duck?" he said, turning his attention to Ducky and the body.

"TOD presents itself at approximately 13 hours ago." Duck told him, "Mr. Palmer! Get the gurney!"

"Right away Doctor."

"Where are Tony and McGee!?" Gibbs said, not really upset with them.

"We're here, Boss." Tony said with McGee in tow.

"McGee, photos. Tony-"

"Bag and tag." Tony finished, "On it."

"Gibbs!"

"Anyone see or hear anything?" Gibbs asked Ziva as she jogged up to him.

Ziva shook her head. Gibbs saw that she was distressed, but knew pointing it out would be lethal, even to him.

"You can get the baby's DNA now, right?" Gibbs asked Abby, who was in an especially foul mood.

"What," she spat back, "you think I lied last time!?"

"Abby."

His soft voice comforted her enough for her to stop the sassy remarks.

"Yes." she said as though she was a teen being dragged to high school, "But no matches were found, not even to our prime suspect Henry Lowell."

"We are still gonna bring him in." Gibbs assured her, "Was it the same weapon?"

"Yes," Abby nodded, "a fire poker. And before you ask. No. There were no prints on it."

"Take 60 on the couch Abs." Gibbs murmured in her ear, then kissed her cheek.

"But Gibbs, I-"

"Now, Abby," Gibbs said, pointing to her futon, "that or be off the case."

Now _that _was a fate worse than death for Abby. She scurried to the futon and lay down.

"I am sleeeeeping!"

Gibbs just chuckled while hitting the lights.

"Ah, Jethro." Ducky said as the pressurized doors opened, "I was just going to call you."

"I'm here now Duck." Gibbs told him, looking at the body Petty Officer Gait.

"Jethro, I had Mr. Palmer pull some old cold case files for me." Ducky said, covering Angela Gait, "And I may have discovered a connection."

"From a cold case?" Gibbs said dryly, he, like any other field agent despised cold cases.

"Three actually," Ducky said, leading them to his desk, "and they all match our perp's ID."

Gibbs felt the bile rise up from his stomach at the photos. All three women had been stabbed strait through and all had been pregnant. He checked the dates. Col. Bethany Holton, 14 months ago. Lt. Cheyenne Cabot, 17 months ago. Petty Officer Nancy Green, 25 months ago. Gibbs began to dial.

"Ziva!" he barked, "You three go to cold cases and get three cases. Col. Bethany Holton, Lt. Cheyenne Cabot and Petty Officer Nancy Green."

Snapping his cell shut he looked at Ducky.

"Did anyone know she was pregnant?" Ducky asked, having been instilled with Gibbs' denial of coincidences along with the others.

Gibbs shook his head, glancing down at the covered body.

"Your Diagnosis, Dr. Mallard."

"I am afraid we have ourselves a brutal and ruthless serial killer. And I think our dear Chelsea is the only survivor of this perp's vendetta."

_PHOOMPH!_


	5. Two Suspects and A Softy

"Ok." Tony began, "We have five women, all military, all pregnant, all stabbed with a fire poker killing both mom and baby."

Two days after the team unearthed the cold cases, they had found enough evidence to say it was most likely the same person. And though it was a rare occurrence, the team had a ton of evidence that seemed to lead nowhere or back to Chelsea's mother. Abby continued her foul mood, pissed at the cold cases.

Ziva watched as McGee let his forehead thud to the desk. She knew this was a hard case and she knew how he felt about their little house guest.

"We cant even find a frickin motive!" Tony exclaimed, throwing the computer clicker on the floor.

"You gonna pay for that DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked, walking in, fresh coffee in hand.

"Didn't Ducky say that all these women were pregnant at least once before their newest pregnancy?" McGee asked, snapping his head up.

"Yeah." Tony said slowly, not knowing where the probie was heading.

"Where are they?" McGee said, tapping away on his keyboard.

"McGee is right. Where are these children?" Ziva said, her eyes lighting up, heading back behind her desk.

"And why were they not killed, at least in the womb, like the others!?" at that, Tony hit a speed dial for a Baltimore buddy.

Even in the most dire circumstances, Gibbs never tired of the look on his subordinate's faces when they had a revelation.

"I think I have found one of our missing children!" Abby exclaimed, her bubbly personality returning, much to the team's relief.

"What do got?" Gibbs asked.

"I looked into Child Protective Services' DNA bank." Abby explained, tapping on the keyboard.

"CPS takes DNA?" McGee asked.

"They do as of a year ago." Abby said, "Helps with crime stuff."

"So who did you match?" Gibbs asked.

"This 4 year old boy, Andrew is in a foster home in Arlington." Abby said pointing at the screen, "His DNA says that he belongs to Lt. Cheyenne Cabot."

"Ziva, you and McGee talk to his social worker, uh,-"

"Nora Quinn." Abby interjected, "DC's CPS building."

"Tony and I will bring in Lowell for questioning." Gibbs continued, "Let's go!"

"God, look at this dump!" Tony said, getting out of the car, "His mobile looks like it was hacked at by Paul Bunion!"

Gibb just rolled his eyes as they approached the home, if you could call it a home, of Henry Lowell.

"Henry Lowell!?" Gibbs called, rapping at the rickety door, "NCIS. We need to ask you a few question.

When no one responded, Gibbs motioned for Tony to go around back. Gibbs knocked again, repeating himself, and again, there was no answer.

"Go!" he said into his wrist mike, kicking the door in, Tony doing the same in back.

"Clear!"

"Clear, Boss"

Tony and Gibbs cleared the rest of the mobile home in seconds, meeting up in the living room. They holstered their SIG's and began to look around, gloving their hands.

"The TV's still warm Boss," Tony said, running his hand along the small antenna TV, "We just missed him."

"His truck is still in the driveway DiNozzo." Gibbs pointed out, "He's on foot or had a ride."

The rest of their search was unhelpful. If it was legal to arrest a guy for being creepy and having suggestive reading materials in the head, Gibbs would have had a warrant out for Lowell's arrest in seconds.

"I get the creeps in here boss," Tony whined, "Can we go?"

Nodding, Gibbs gathered their minute amount of possible evidence and led them out of the trailer.

"Call local LEO's and get a squad car out for surveillance." Gibbs ordered, starting the car, "And put out a BOLO. I want to know when he gets home."

"Ahhh!" Tony yelped as Gibbs peeled out of the dirt driveway, "I can't dial with you doing that Boss!"

Gibbs sent him a 'Gibbs Glare', narrowly missing a tree.

"Uh, never mind." Tony said, shutting his eyes tightly, "I will become an acrobat if I have to in order to solve any case."

SMACK!

"What was that for!?" Tony cried, rubbing the back of his head.

"I didn't miss the sarcasm DiNozzo."

Tony got busy dialing.

"Can I help you?" a nasally secretary said to McGee and Ziva when they entered the Child Protective Services building.

"Uh, NCIS," McGee said, flashing his badge, "We need to speak with an Nora Quinn."

"She is all booked up today." the nasal woman told them.

"It is an emergency." Ziva told the woman menacingly, bending to her height, "Un-book her."

Although the secretary was clearly confused at both why they were there and Ziva's odd phrasing, she hit a button on her phone quickly.

"Mrs. Quinn," the secretary said into an intercom, "There are federal agents here. They say it is and emergency."

"Send them in."

McGee and Ziva exchanged a look as the nasally woman led them down a corridor. Mrs. Quinn had sounded less than happy.

"Hello, I am Nora Quinn." she said, standing behind her desk, "How can I help you?"

"I am Special Agent David," Ziva said, shaking the woman's hand, "this is Special Agent McGee."

Once the pleasantries were through, Mrs. Quinn got right down to business.

"So what does NCIS need from me?" she asked, sitting and motioning the other two to sit as well,

"We would like to speak to you about one of your cases," McGee began, handing her a paper, "an Andrew Grove."

"He is only four," Mrs. Quinn said, "how on earth did he get in trouble with the fed's?"

"We need to know how he got into the system." Ziva said, "We do not want to speak with him or disrupt him in any way."

"Let me get his file." Mrs. Quinn said, turning to the file cabinets behind her.

After a moment of searching, she found the file and opened on her desk.

"Andrew was taken from his father a year ago." Mrs. Quinn said, skimming the file, "And apparently the man wasn't his father."

"What do you mean?" McGee asked.

"This man, Joseph Grove," she responded, skimming again, "said that he 'found' Andrew and took him in like a good man."

"I take it he wasn't a good man at all." McGee said, noticing the sadness in Mrs. Quinn's eyes.

"Grove treated him like a slave," she said, "in all different ways."

Ziva and McGee didn't need to ask what 'ways' she was speaking of.

"What happened to Joseph Grove?" Ziva asked.

"As far as the file says," Mrs. Quinn said, "He is in prison for life."

"Thank you for your time." Ziva said, rising.

"Good luck at what ever you are after." Mrs. Quinn told them as they left her office, "Oh, lord, this can't be good."

When the team regrouped in the bullpen it was 6:00. Sure, they had more facts, but they had yet to piece them together.

"So our prime suspect has flown the coop, our other-"

"Flown the coop?" Ziva asked, wrinkling her nose at another idiom she did not understand.

"Run off, escaped." McGee offered.

"Oh."

"May I continue?" Tony asked, glaring.

"Like we could stop you."

Ignoring McGee's successful burn, Tony merely continued.

"Our other suspect has been in the clink for three of the murders."

There was silence.

"That all you got DiNozzo." Gibbs asked from his desk.

"Uh, well, you-" Tony said, only to be interrupted again.

"Daddy!"

Chelsea was scurrying down the stairs from the Director's office, the pigtails Ziva had put her hair in flopping. For a little girl, Chelsea was quick to run into McGee's arms.

"I can never talk without getting inter-"

"Sorry!" called Jenny from the top of the staircase, "She got away from me!"

Tony kicked McGee's trashcan in frustration.

"What wrong?" Chelsea asked Tony from McGee's arms.

"Nothin' kiddo." he said, pulling a pigtail, making Chelsea giggle.

"Go home everyone." Gibbs said, "Get some rest so you'll be clear headed."

They all stared at Gibbs, stunned. He was letting them go home _early_!

"Go before I change my mind!"

They didn't have to be told a third time.

Jen looked at him after Palmer, Tony, Ziva, Chelsea and McGee had crammed themselves into the elevator.

"What!?" he growled, feeling a pair of eyes on him.

"You are such a softy." Jenny said with a chuckle.

_PHOOMPH!_


	6. Spaghetti Familia

A/N More Fluff, but more case I promise. I am trying to keep the balance. Does anyone know how to separate the paragraphs? It is Driving me batty. Thanks for all the reviews. Disclaimer: not mine.

McGee flicked on the living room lights as Ziva locked the apartment behind them. Chelsea ran into the kitchen and managed to climb on to one of the island stools.

"You hungry Chels?" McGee asked, her actions causing him to smile.

"Uh-huh!" she said, nodding her head.

Turning on the lights, Ziva went into the kitchen and began to clunk around without a word.

"Do you need any help Ziva?" McGee asked, sitting beside Chelsea.

"No, thank you." Ziva said smiling, "I do enjoy cooking."

McGee watched her move around the kitchen, the little smile still upon her face. He realized that, even with her workaholic mentality, she had to have some outlet. Just as he did with writing, Tony with his movies, Gibbs with his boat, and Abby with her bowling. Suddenly he felt a tug on his sleeve, interrupting his thoughts.

"Daddy?"

"Yeah, sweetie?"

"I have to go to the bathroom."

"Go ahead."

Ziva and McGee chuckled as Chelsea scrambled down the hall. Chelsea felt that it was important to announce every visit to the bathroom.

"What are you making?" McGee asked, trying to fill the awkward silence.

"Spaghetti." Ziva answered happily, "My favorite."

"Spaghetti is your favorite?" McGee said.

"What is wrong with that?" she said, sending a glare his way.

"Nothing!" he assured her, "I just thought it would've been more exotic than that."

"Hmm." she murmured, stirring, "What is it Gibbs says about assuming anything?"

"It make an ass outta you and me."

Both adults looked up at the source of the response in surprise. Chelsea stood there with a triumphant smile.

"Is that wight?" Chelsea said, climbing onto the stool again.

"Uh, yes." McGee said, "but let's not say that again, ok Chels? It is actually not a very nice thing to say."

"Ok!" Chelsea said with a giggle, a happily compliant girl.

That caused Ziva to let out her own giggle, surprising McGee. He had never heard Ziva actually _giggle_.

"Did Gibbs say that?" Ziva asked Chelsea, straining the noodles.

"Yes." Chelsea answered, nodding, "To DiNo."

McGee smiled at Chelsea's attempt at Tony's name. She was just so darn adorable.

"Aren't you just darling." Ziva said, voicing McGee's thoughts.

"Yep!" Chelsea agreed, causing the both of them to laugh.

"It is almost time to eat." Ziva told them, pouring sauce on the noodles.

"Yay!"

"Yay!" McGee echoed Chelsea, picking her up to move into the dining room.

"Can I set the table for you?" McGee asked Ziva after settling Chelsea on a stack of phonebooks.

"Sure," Ziva told him pointing to a cupboard then a drawer, "in there are the plates, and then there are the silverware in the drawer."

Soon the three were seated and eating dinner.

"This spaghetti is great." McGee said, a noodle hanging from his mouth.

"You have a noodle right," Ziva leaned forward with a smile, "there."

McGee froze as Ziva's thumb ran across the corner of his mouth. He swallowed visibly.

"Thank you." he said as Chelsea giggled.

Dinner was a little awkward, but Chelsea was a chatty little girl. She told them about what she did with Jenny.

"I col'rd an' I singed to Cyntia!" she told them proudly.

"So you had fun?" McGee asked her.

"Yeah! An' Abby gave me a drink!"

McGee and Ziva exchanged a look. McGee made a mental note to talk to Abby about giving a two year old a Calf-POW!

"An' Gibbs gave me a sticker!"

Ziva smiled. Gibbs would deny that up and down.

"An' DiNo gived me a movie!"

"What movie Chels?" McGee asked suspiciously.

"Da Lion King." Chelsea said seriously.

"That is a good one." Ziva said.

"You sawed it too?" Chelsea said, wide-eyed.

Ziva nodded, wiping sauce from the little girl's smiling face. Chelsea didn't really like that, but she allowed it.

"Do you want to watch it with your daddy and I?" she asked the little girl, "After I do the dishes of course."

"Weally!" Chelsea said earnestly.

"Weally!" McGee said back just as earnestly.

Chelsea clapped her hands together.

Twenty minutes later, the Lion King was in the DVD player. They all sat on Ziva's couch, the adults at each in with a wiggly Chelsea in between. She clutched a small bowl of popcorn entranced by the singing lion cub on the screen. Ziva was truly enjoying herself. She was able to genuinely laugh along with Chelsea's small giggles and McGee's husky barks of laughter. She never would have felt any of this if she was still under her father's thumb.

By the time the credits rolled, Chelsea was snoring lightly, leaning against Ziva. McGee smiled and took Chelsea to her room. After changing the snoozing girl and tucking her in, McGee returned to the couch where Ziva was staring at a blue screen.

"You ok Ziva?" he asked quietly.

Breaking her gaze from the TV, she snapped it off and turned to look at McGee.

"I am fine McGee," she said, "I was just deep in thought."

"I could tell." McGee said, relaxing into the couch.

There was a moment of silence, which McGee couldn't stand.

"Thank you again." he said.

"For what?" she asked, cradling her head in her palm on the arm of the couch.

"For letting Chelsea and I stay here."

"It is my pleasure." she said, looking him in the eyes.

Chocolate brown met crystal blue for a split moment.

After some more silence, Ziva spoke up abruptly.

"I was thinking about how different my life would be if I were still under my father's command."

McGee's blood always boiled at any mention of Eli David. He saw first hand how the man treated his own flesh and blood.

"He would always keep tabs on me, I would not be able to relax, enjoy a movie."

McGee watched several emotions dance across her face.

"But now you can." McGee said, "You are your own person."

Ziva smiled at McGee. He hated when a woman was upset, and was always so gentlemanly.

"Yes." she said, rising, "I will see you in the morning McGee."

"Good night." McGee said, watching her disappear down the hall into her room.

As he got ready for bed, he thought hard. He vowed to help Ziva in everyway he could.

Shutting out his light, McGee did something he hadn't done in years. He prayed.

_Lord. I know it's been awhile. But I really need your help. Lord, I love Chelsea and I plan to keep her. Please let it happen. And I pray for Ziva and the demons of her past that haunt her. Amen._

With that, McGee's eyes closed.

Across the hall, Ziva tossed and turned. She was concerned. She was sharing her feelings. That was something she was trained against. And her heart had been captured, by an abandoned little girl. Ziva threw her hairbrush across her room.

"I have lost it."

"Ziva."

Ziva sat up in alarm, but relaxed when she saw Chelsea at the foot of her bed.

"What is the matter Tetelah?" she asked her.

"Tetelah?" Chelsea questioned, pronouncing the word slowly.

"It means darling." Ziva told her, drawing the girl onto her bed.

"I am hungry."

Ziva looked to her clock just as the alarm went off.

"We will wake your daddy."

Chelsea ran out of her room. Ziva laughed when she heard Chelsea telling McGee to get up.

They met up in the kitchen. Ziva laughed again at McGee's disgruntled appearance.

"How on earth can you get up this early?" McGee grumbled at her as she grabbed some toast.

"I run at five every morning." she said, purposely bragging.

"Five!" Chelsea exclaimed, holding her hand out to symbolize five.

"Good." Ziva said, "I'll be back."

McGee just grumbled something about an 'ungodly hour' or something.

"Ok," McGee said, "How about scrambled eggs?"

"Yeah!"

"Great." McGee said, relieved.

He actually was a horrible cook.

Half hour later, Ziva returned. They all went through the motions of getting ready and left soon after. They took the same car, it was just easier. As McGee started out he had a strange thought.

_This is freakishly family-like._

_PHOOMPH!_


	7. Wuv You Daddy

A/N More case. If you have ?'s, ask. Disclaimer: The Usual.

After McGee had settled Chelsea in the Director's office, he hurried back into the bullpen.

"Boss!" McGee said, "We got a hit on Lowell's BOLO!"

"Where is he at?" Gibbs asked, grabbing his gear along with the others.

"He is at a bar in Arlington."

"Let's go!" Gibbs barked.

When they arrived at Coolie's Bar, Lowell's beat up Ford was still in the parking lot. Gibbs sent Tony around back in case Lowell tried to bolt that way, and Ziva out front.

"There he is boss." McGee whispered, pointing to a dirty, unshaven middle-aged man at the bar.

Gibbs went on one side, McGee went around to his other side.

"Henry Lowell?"

Lowell looked up drunkenly at Gibbs. Then his eyes widened. He tried to bolt, but McGee grabbed him. He was easy to subdue because he was drunk as a skunk.

"Shouldn't run with a hangover." Gibbs offered as McGee cuffed him.

"So who's interrogating him?" Tony asked McGee in the observation room.

They were waiting for Gibbs and Ziva. Lowell was pacing and muttering to himself. Every so often he would drink some of the black coffee he was given to sober up.

"Ziva is." Gibbs said, entering the darkened room, startling both men.

McGee and Tony glanced at each other, Tony rubbed his hands together in glee.

"Mr. Lowell. Do you know why you are here?"

Lowell looked at her as though she were lunch.

"I imagine that I am on date with an exotic beauty." he slurred with a creepy smile.

"You imagine wrong." Ziva hissed.

"I said _imagine_." Lowell shrugged.

"Do you know a Petty Officer Camilla Webster?" Ziva asked, pushing her photo in front of him.

"Yeah. I went on a date with her." Lowell said, shrugging some more.

"Did you also say that you wished to impregnate her?"

"So it's against the law to make a suggestion on a first date?" Lowell smirked.

Ziva slammed her fist on the table.

"Why did you want to get her pregnant?" Ziva asked the nervous man, "Did you want children?"

"No!" he said, looking appalled, "I just like pregnant woman."

Behind the glass Tony made a face.

"Never heard of that fetish."

"Have you impregnated any women yet?" Ziva asked.

Lowell bowed his head in embarrassment.

"No, I have yet to find a compliant lady."

"Did you know a Petty Officer Hannah Jones?" Ziva demanded, pushing Jones' picture towards him.

"No." Lowell said staring, "But she'd sure look good pregnant."

With that, Ziva left interrogation and met the others in observation.

"He did not do anything!" she blurted out in frustration, "He is just creepy."

Tony and McGee shuddered in agreement. Gibbs nodded.

"Can we book him for anything?" Ziva asked, officially grossed out.

"No." Gibbs said with a chuckle.

"I'll go see if Abby has found anymore kids, Boss." McGee said.

"I set up an interview with 'The Good Father' at the prison." Tony said.

"Ziva and I will check the rest of Lowell's stuff." Gibbs said.

"Hey Abby!" McGee called over her music, which she only turned down slightly at McGee's appearance.

"What's up Timmy!?" Abby exclaimed, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I need to know if you located anymore kids." he rasped, still in Abby's headlock hug.

"Not yet." she pouting

"Oh and Abbs?" McGee said, tapping on the keyboard next to her, "Don't be giving Chelsea Calf-POW!'s please."

Abby just guffawed at his insinuation.

"Like I would give a kid-"

"More POW Abby!" Chelsea interrupted Abby entering the lab.

McGee gave Abby a hard glare.

"Kids," Abby giggled nervously, "they say the darndest things!"

"No more POW right now kiddo." McGee told her, "Maybe tomorrow."

Chelsea nodded seriously and handed Abby the cup carefully.

"Maybe tomorrow." Chelsea said.

"Did you run away from Jenny again?" McGee asked, picking her up.

"No." Chelsea said shaking her head, pigtails smacking him in his face, "Jenny says she be wight back."

Before McGee could question her answer his cell rang.

"McGee."

"_McGee" _Ziva said, _"Social services are here for Chelsea."_

"What!?" McGee exclaimed, setting Chelsea down, "Where is Gibbs?"

"_He is with the Director."_ Ziva said, _"He is trying to get you custody because she is in protective custody."_

"I'll be right there."

Snapping his cell shut, he kissed Chelsea on her forehead, and told Abby he'd explain later.

McGee felt like the elevator was purposely going slow. When he arrived on the bullpen floor, Tony, Ziva and Ducky were standing there.

"Where is this social worker!?" McGee asked harshly.

"In the conference room." Gibbs answered entering the bull pen, "McGee, you and Ziva have official custody as of right now so she is protected."

McGee felt as though the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders. Ziva felt that way as well.

"Thanks boss." McGee said, completely missing Gibbs' curious look.

"I have us an interview with Joseph Grove in two hours Boss." Tony said, after an awkward moment.

"Good." Gibbs said, "McGee! You and I will interview him. You two, help Abby find those Kids."

"On it Boss!"

Ever since McGee went through the whole hostage situation at the women's prison, he was always very anxious when they had to interview prisoners. And on top of that, this felt personal.

After being searched, stripped of their weapons, and led through what seemed like miles of cell halls, Gibbs and McGee reached the interview cell. Joseph Grove was already seated, with his hands and feet chained.

"Thank you for agreeing to see us." McGee said, sitting across from him.

Grove was a poster boy for inner-city gangs. He had the scars, the piercings, the tattoos, and the demeanor of a hardened criminal.

"Whatever." the horse voice said, "Don't even know what the hell NCIS is."

"Its- uh- Naval Criminal Investigative Services." McGee said.

Grove looked very unimpressed.

"We need to talk to you about how you 'found' Andrew?" Gibbs said.

"What does Andrew gotta do with the Navy?" Grove questioned.

"You gonna answer my question Grove?" Gibbs responded.

"It was like I said, I found him on the streets." Grove said, his face void of any expression.

"Well, I don't believe you." Gibbs said, his face a mirror image.

"If you cooperate," McGee spoke up, "the DA is willing to allow you extra privileges."

This idea peaked Grove's interest, though he tried to hide it.

"This dude hooked me up." Grove said, trying to be difficult.

"Gonna need this 'dude's' name Grove." Gibbs growled.

"I don't know it."

"We're done here McGee." Gibbs said, rising.

"Look." Grove said, desperate, "I only know his street name."

Gibbs stared at him and decided that was probably all the creep knew.

"Name." he said menacingly.

"They call him The Gifter."

Gibbs motioned the guard to let them out.

"You'll talk to the DA right!?" Grove called.

"So what'd you find out boss?" Tony said as Gibbs and McGee returned.

"What did _you_ find DiNozzo?" Gibbs said, putting away his weapons and badge.

"Ziva and Abby and I can't find anymore kids." Tony said, knowing that was not a good answer.

Gibbs' face relayed Tony's guess.

"We only got a street name." McGee said, "The Gifter."

"I haven't heard of that name." Tony said, who usually had the a pretty good idea of the streets.

"Call your contacts in Baltimore." Gibbs said.

Tony nodded, went to his desk and began to dial.

Gibbs had sat down at his desk looking super thoughtful.

"What are you thinking Gibbs?" Ziva asked.

"Child Sales."

McGee audibly gasped. He couldn't possibly think that this Gifter guy was in the business of buying and selling children?

"Where are the children?" Gibbs reiterated the focal question of the case, "They weren't in foster care."

"Maybe our dead women refused to give up their child." Ziva expanded.

"Chelsea was supposed to be gone." McGee said numbly.

"Boss," Tony said, hanging up his phone, "A buddy of mine is faxing some facts over on what they know of The Gifter, which is very little."

"Very little, DiNozzo?" Gibbs raised his eyebrows.

"This Gifter guy is good Boss." Tony said with a sigh, "What little facts they have would never convict the guy of anything except conspiracy to be a bastard. And apparently you only get a slap on the wrist for that."

"We are just gonna have to be better."

"Gibbs! Gibbs! Gibbs!" Abby's voice and platform boots thundered into the bullpen.

"What is it Abs?" Gibbs said with a small smile.

"I have found another kid!" but her excitement was lined with sadness.

"She or he is dead, huh?" Gibbs said, putting his hand on the young girls' shoulder.

"The two year old daughter of Col. Bethany Holton was found dead in a sewer in Georgetown."

"Cause of death?" McGee questioned quietly.

Abby had tears in her eyes and gripped Gibbs tightly.

"Drowned."

Abby's tears fell.

"Daddy?"

"What Chels?" McGee answered.

McGee had grabbed Chelsea and they had gone for a walk around in the Navy Yard. He needed fresh air. That little girl was two just like his little girl. Yes, his little girl.

"Are you sad?" Chelsea asked, gripping McGee's hand.

"A little bit." he told her honestly, she was a brilliant little girl.

"Why?" she asked him, looking up at him.

"It is hard to explain." he said, "Would you like me to carry you for a little bit?"

Chelsea nodded, so McGee scooped her up. His heart sang as she threw her tiny arms around his neck as she tried to comfort him. He held her to him tight.

"Wuv you daddy." she murmured into his neck.

"I love you too Chelsea." he answered, a tear running down his cheek, "I love you so much."

McGee vowed that he would find the bastard or bastards who hurt little girls like his.

_PHOOMPH!_


	8. BAM! Free Beer For a Month

A/N Thx for all of the reviews. Sorry about McGee's eyes. I was gonna fix it, but I got reviews and was excited to put up the next chapter. And the LVM's are from the episode "Iced" And the name Capitane was all I could think of.

Ziva was walking around as well. It just sank in that she was a foster _mother_. She never in a million years would of thought she would be any kind of mother. She honestly didn't think she'd make a good one. She feared of what kind of person she would raise. She didn't want to raise a killer. She wanted to love a child, unlike her father's manipulative definition of love.

"Ziva!"

She turned around to see McGee catching up to her. He didn't have Chelsea, so she must have been with someone else.

"Hello McGee." she said as he fell in step with her.

They walked side by side in silence.

"Are you as scared as me?" McGee finally said.

"Yes," she said, much to McGee's surprise, "I am terrified."

They fell into silence once more. McGee was stunned that Ziva had admitted fear, and she was stunned that she had revealed fear.

"So, uh, is it still ok to stay at your place?" McGee finally asked.

Ziva just nodded. She was glad he didn't say anything about her revelation of fear.

"It is just fine."

Before they entered the front doors, Ziva put her hand on McGee's shoulder to stop him.

"What do we do when the investigation is done?"

McGee looked at her, but his answer was disrupted when his cell rang.

"McGee."

McGee motioned to Ziva that it was Gibbs telling them to get their asses back to work.

It was only when they returned to the bullpen Ziva realized McGee hadn't answered her question.

"We need to find somebody who knows more about The Gifter." Gibbs said.

"You mean like someone on the streets willing to rat on him?" McGee asked.

"A rival perhaps." Ziva suggested.

"But The Gifter is not affiliated with any DC gangs." Tony said, "He isn't a gangster at all."

"Everybody has enemies Tony." Ziva said with a wicked smile, "You certainly ought to know that."

Two frame-up's for murder brought out a list of Tony's own haters.

"What street gangs are the largest DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked before Tony could react to Ziva's dig.

"Well," Tony said, "There are the PC's and the LVM's Boss."

"Find out if any have a problem with a self-proclaimed street boss!" Gibbs barked.

"On it!" Tony hollered, McGee and Ziva rushing to do the same.

"I am going to see Ducky!" Gibbs announce leaving the bullpen.

"Ah, hell." murmured McGee

"Jethro," Ducky said, closing a body locker, "what can I do for you?"

Gibbs just looked at him and sighed. That was 'Gibbs speak' without speaking for 'give me advice Ducky.'

"You are worried that many more children are in danger." Ducky said, leading them to his liquor cabinet.

"We are searching for a ghost Duck." Gibbs said, taking a small shot glass of scotch.

"Ah, Jethro," Ducky said, shaking a finger at him, "ghost hunting is one of the many things you are good at."

Gibbs just stood there, not saying a word.

"I can only read your mind so much Jethro." Ducky said.

"And here I thought you knew everything." Gibbs said, leaning on the autopsy table opposite Ducky's desk, "I am worried about McGee."

"Timothy?" Duck questioned, it was usually Anthony Jethro worried about.

"His attachment to Chelsea is strong," Gibbs said, "I am afraid rule 11 will be thrown out the window."

"Rule 11," Ducky pondered, "ah, yes. 'When the job is done, walk away.' And you feel that Timothy may not be able to."

Gibbs nodded. He honestly didn't have much of an argument against McGee's attraction to an adorable little girl who calls him her daddy. He was sure if he looked deep enough, he could.

But he really didn't want to.

"Have I really become a softy?" Gibbs groaned, exiting autopsy with a wave.

"I believe you have Jethro," Ducky chuckled softly as the doors closed, "I believe you have."

"Find anything!?" Gibbs barked re-entering the bullpen.

"I may have found a rival boss." McGee said, rising.

"May have, McGee?"

McGee scrambled to show a picture on the plasma. A mug shot appeared of a tall Mexican man covered in tattoos, most noticeably, the LVM on his arm.

"This is Jose Ramirez, Boss." McGee said, "He was just released on parole after seriously wounding a gas station clerk."

"Nice guy." Tony muttered.

"Rumor has it that Ramirez was in charge of scoping out any competition the LVM's could have on the streets."

"Did he run into The Gifter?" Gibbs asked.

"Uh, well, I-"

"Today McGee!"

"We'd have to find him and ask him." McGee said in a rush.

"What if he does not cooperate?" Ziva asked.

Tony and McGee just looked at her, then the boss, then her again.

"Right." she muttered.

"Do you have an approximate place we could find Ramirez McGee?" Gibbs asked in annoyance.

"Right here." McGee said quickly, handing Gibbs a paper.

"DiNozzo, David," Gibbs snapped, "you're with me. McGee, we need more enemies."

"On it!" McGee shouted as the elevator doors closed, "Well not for us of course."

"I hate going into gang neighborhoods." Tony nattered from the backseat of their blue sedan, "It's like, as soon as a cop enters the territory, they all have their illegally obtained weapons locked onto you. Then BAM! Somebody hits the bulls-eye and gets free beer for a month."

"Tony," Ziva said, pinching the bridge of her nose, feeling a headache coming on, "Shut up."

"Aw, but -"

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs snapped, "Shut up or get fired."

Tony just poked Ziva and pouted.

About five minutes later Gibbs parked on the graffiti covered streets. The three agents entered the old taco shack where the LVM's gathered.

"Hey Agent Gibbs!" said the chubby leader from his table, entourage around him.

"Capitane." Gibbs responded with a nod, using the man's nickname.

Gibbs had shown Capitane and a few others that a fellow member had killed their leader and taken control. Gibbs didn't have enough to take the rat to court, so he tipped off the rest of the gang. These streets had their own form of justice. Since then, the LVM's had been careful to steer clear out of respect.

"How can the LVM's help, what is it, ah yes, NCIS?" Capitane asked, a slutty Mexican girl feeding him bacon.

"Is Jose Ramirez around?" Gibbs asked, sitting in front of Capitane, who was narrowing his eyes, "We need his help."

"Anything I could help you with Gibbs?" he asked, avoiding Gibbs' question.

Tony looked at Gibbs, and Gibbs nodded.

"Have any of you heard of a self-proclaimed gang leader called 'The Gifter'?" Tony asked, still a little nervous speaking to a gang leader who was visibly smoking something illegal in front of them.

The room stilled. Which made Tony look over his shoulder for a bazooka.

"He givin' you problems Gibbs?" Capitane asked, his tone clearly in disdain of said person.

"We think he is having pregnant women murdered," Gibbs began, an audible gasp ringing through the room, "and selling children."

The room stilled further. Even the LVM's drew the line somewhere.

"We will be on the look out for this 'Gifter'," Capitane said, rising, "we will not let children and women pregnant be slaughtered."

"If you get him, we need him alive." Ziva said, eyebrows raised.

"Ok." Capitane said, though he looked rather upset at that condition, "None of my men will kill him."

"And Jose?" Gibbs asked.

"He will report to you right after I spread the word that he is not a snitch."

Gibbs shook Capitane's hand, looking him square in the eyes. Tony rolled his eyes, still watching for guns. Only Gibbs would create an alliance with a notorious gang.

"You coming DiNozzo!?" Gibbs yelled from the door, interrupting Tony's thoughts.

"Though I have become more accustomed to America," Ziva said, beating Tony to the passengers seat, "I am not sure if it is legal to partner with gangs or Gibbs' kind of legal."

"Believe me," Tony muttered, buckling himself in the back, "those lines blurred a long time ago."

"You better duck down DiNozzo."

Tony yelped and crunched into a ball in the backseat at Gibbs' suggestion.

"Nobody's getting free beer on my account!"

It was only Gibbs and Ziva's laughter that made him realize Gibbs was screwing with him.

"So not funny, Boss." Tony grumbled, panting slightly.

"BAM!" Ziva said, making a gun with her thumb and pointer finger and pointing it at Tony, laughing.

_PHOOMPH!_


	9. Just For Tonight

**A/N This is a short chapter, and it is fluffy, but necessary. Plz Review and Enjoy the new episode tonight.**

**McGee wandered up to the Director's office, fully meaning to have a job-related conversation with Director Shepard, only to collide with Chelsea. Although, he didn't know for sure, because this little girl had red marker all over her face.**

"**Hi Daddy!" she squealed, throwing her little arms around his knees.**

"**What happened to your face young lady?" McGee asked sternly, lifting her into his arms.**

"**Nuffin'" Chelsea said with a bashful face that clearly said 'somethin'.**

"**Chelsea!" **

**McGee saw a frazzled Cynthia run around the corner. Cynthia looked both relieved and embarrassed to see McGee standing there.**

"**I am sooo sorry!" the young African-American woman said, panting heavily, "She just, I don't know, slipped away!"**

"**It's ok Cynthia." McGee assured her, "I have found a sitter."**

"**Thank God!" she said, then her eyes widened, "I didn't mean-"**

"**I understand Cynthia." McGee chuckled, laying a hand on her shoulder, "Chelsea, you need to tell Cynthia sorry for running away from her."**

**Chelsea looked at him, to Cynthia, then to him again, this time with a pout. McGee just gave her a soft glare.**

"**I sowwy Cyntia." Chelsea said, still pouting.**

**Cynthia couldn't help but smile back. For a terrible two's terror, Chelsea was adorable.**

"**I think I'll just get Ziva and head home." McGee said, smiling as well, "Thank you for your help Cynthia."**

**Cynthia watched the two head down the stairs. They were nattering up a storm and they just 'fit'. **

**When Ziva exited the elevator, she watched McGee come down the staircase with Chelsea. They were a pair to watch, that was for sure. **

"**Chelsea!" Ziva gasped as the duo approached the bullpen, "What on earth happened to your face!"**

"**Nuffin'" Chelsea repeated.**

"**Red marker." McGee corrected.**

**Chelsea just blinked and grinned like she had absolutely no idea what her foster parents were talking about.**

"**Awesome war paint Chel-bell!" Tony said, earning himself a punch on the arm from Ziva.**

**Chelsea snickered at Tony's embellishment of his pain.**

"**Ziva, McGee go on home." Gibbs said from his desk, "Tony and I will work a little longer. And Chelsea…"**

**Chelsea turned to look at Gibbs, her eyes wide.**

"**No more markers." he said sternly.**

**Chelsea nodded quickly, actually looking sorry. McGee rolled his eyes. Of course she listened to Gibbs.**

"**So you found a babysitter for Chelsea?" Ziva asked, washing a plate before handing it to McGee to dry.**

"**Yes," McGee nodded, keeping their steady wash/dry rhythm, "Your next door neighbor."**

"**Mrs. Berkowitz?"**

"**Yes." McGee chuckled, "She said she was now to be called Nanny June."**

**Ziva let out a soft chuckle as well. She continued with the dishes and listened to McGee tell her about a nanny he had as a child, before his father's job caused them to move around. Ziva could feel goose bumps on her arms, but it wasn't warning her of danger. Ziva was getting goose bumps because of how domestic she felt.**

"**Ziva?"**

"**Wha- What?" Ziva stuttered.**

"**I asked if that pan you have been scrubbing for the last three minutes was clean?" McGee asked, humor in his eyes.**

"**Oh!" Ziva exclaimed, "Yes, of course."**

"**Are you alright?" McGee asked, concerned.**

**Ziva just nodded and did what she could to relieve the tension. She clammed up, a Mossad instinct that still remained.**

"**I am fine McGee." Ziva said, draining the water.**

**McGee fell silent. He noticed Ziva shut down, after almost six years of knowing her, he could just tell. And he couldn't believe how disappointed he was as Ziva left the kitchen.**

"**Boss?"**

"**What DiNozzo!?" Gibbs snapped from his desk, pissed at Tony's fifth or sixth interruption.**

"**What are McGee and Ziva gonna do when the case is solved?" Tony asked seriously, looking at Gibbs earnestly.**

**Gibbs almost groaned. Tony was like his son and annoyed him as such. But Tony was also a grown man and a great investigator. And as a father figure, Gibbs wanted to know all the answers.**

"**We need to actually **_**solve**_** the case, DiNozzo!" Gibbs snapped, rising, "I'm going to see the Director."**

**Tony watched Gibbs stomp away. **

"**So he doesn't know either." Tony muttered, jamming the 'enter' key.**

**McGee's eyes burned as he glanced at the living room clock. 4:23.**

"**I no feel good Daddy." **

**McGee clutched Chelsea closer to him. She had woke him up four hours ago, saying that her tummy felt icky. She then promptly vomited next to his bed. So for the last few hours, McGee had settled her in the living room with a bucket he had cleaned out three times, a thermometer that continued to read 101.3, and other little comforting things.**

"**Tim?"**

**McGee turned to see Ziva standing beside him, bundled in her terry-cloth robe.**

"**She's sick." **

**Of course, his massive yawn muffled his answer.**

"**What?" Ziva said, a sleepy smile flattering her shadowed features.**

"**She's sick." McGee repeated, too tired to return the smile.**

**Ziva's features darkened as she knelt beside the couch.**

"**Does she have a temperature?"**

"**It has been 101.3 for the last four hours." McGee murmured, "I called the hospital. It isn't high enough to go to the hospital for."**

**Ziva nodded, brushing some sweaty strands of hair from Chelsea's flushed face.**

"**I no feel good, mommy." Chelsea whispered.**

**Ziva's hand froze. Chelsea had always called her by her name. Ziva looked up at McGee. But his face only shocked her more.**

**He was smiling at her. As if he were telling her that it was ok. That in letting her guard down, no one would get hurt. But Ziva always got hurt.**

"**I know Tetelah."**

**But maybe it was ok. Just for tonight.**

_**POOMPH!**_


	10. A Gory Threat

A/N A little more case. Plz Review.

McGee crept around the house the next morning, trying not to wake Chelsea. She had finally fallen asleep around 6:30. He had already called Gibbs, who let him take the day off. Ziva had headed to work before he could even talk to her. And he was pretty sure he knew why.

Chelsea had called her 'mommy' last night. Tim McGee had only seen Ziva David get caught off-guard a few times. When Gibbs was caught in the bomb-blast, when the team was split and when he and Tony saved her life. But he had never seen so many emotions on her face as there were when Chelsea called her 'mommy'.

"You look like hell."

"Thank you Tony," Ziva snapped, approaching her desk, "that is such a nice thing to say to a woman."

"How is Chelsea?" Gibbs asked.

"Something's wrong with Chelsea?" Tony asked, his concern revealing that his own heart belonged to Chelsea.

"She is sick." Ziva said, reviving her computer.

Before Tony could ask for more facts, a tattooed Mexican stood at the head of the bullpen.

"You Ramirez?" Gibbs asked.

"Yes Sir." he nodded, "Capitane said you needed my help."

"DiNozzo, take Ramirez to the conference room." Gibbs said, standing up, "I have to grab those files."

"Yes boss."

Ziva stood and looked at Gibbs for instruction.

"Ziver, you take an hour on Abby's futon." he raised his hand to halt her protests, "It's not a suggestion."

Ziva almost sulked as she headed to the lab.

"Thanks for coming in." Gibbs said, seating himself at the head of the oak table.

"Anything to get rid of The Gifter." Ramirez said venomously.

"You're in charge of what exactly for the LVM's?" Gibbs asked, just verifying.

"The Capitane has me go and check out any competition." Ramirez said, slouching in his seat, "I see how large they are, what they carry, and ensure territory lines."

"Does The Gifter have a crew?" Gibbs asked.

"He's wack." Ramirez snorted, "I have only seen him with a posse of 10, and he deals with other gangs."

"Is it a crew or not Jose!?" Gibbs growled.

"Geez. Ten people are not a crew." Ramirez grinned, "Capitane said not to piss you off."

"So don't"

"What's our perp look like?" Tony asked in an attempt to turn the conversation away from pissing off Gibbs.

"That's what's even more wack." Ramirez laughed, "He wears hoodies, sun glasses, and get this, an armband with a flower on it."

"Flower!?" Tony snorted, but sobered at Gibbs' glare, "How about skin color and height?"

"He's a white boy and medium height."

"And his posse?" Tony asked, "What do they look like?"

"They are like a cheesy cheer squad." Ramirez chuckled, "Whenever I saw them, they matched."

"Arm bands?" Gibbs questioned, jotting down notes.

"Yes." Ramirez nodded, "They were all different sizes, though most were tall and skinny."

"Anything else?" Tony asked.

"You'll be the first to know." Ramirez said, standing.

"Thank you." Gibbs said, standing as well, "DiNozzo, escort our friend out of the building. I am going to retrieve David."

"Friend?" Tony muttered leading Ramirez out of the conference room.

"Hi Gibbs!" Abby said in a loud whisper as he entered the lab.

"You do not know how to whisper Abby." Ziva said, rubbing her eyes as she left Abby's office area.

"How are you?' Gibbs asked Ziva, staring her down, not allowing her to lie.

"I am still a little tired." she admitted, and continued at Gibbs' glare, "And I am a little worried about Chelsea."

That caused Gibbs to stare at her again, but he quickly recovered.

"Call McGee and then join DiNozzo and I." Gibbs said, walking away.

"May I use your office Abby?" Ziva asked the dancing pigtailed girl, pulling out her phone.

"Sure thing!" Abby squealed, continuing to jump around.

McGee lunged for his phone. He had finally settled Chelsea down around noon after a bought of vomiting. He didn't want to wake her.

"McGee." he answered whispered, hurrying into his room, shutting his door.

"_Is everything alright McGee?" _Ziva's sultry but tired voice floated into his ears.

"Yeah," McGee assured her, sitting on his bed, "Chelsea is asleep, so I hurried to another room."

"_Oh."_ Ziva said, "_What has been happening?"_

"She threw up some more, but her temperature has gone down two degrees." McGee said, "Ducky says that this is probably a 48-hour bug."

"_Bug?"_ Ziva asked, confusion in her voice.

"Virus." McGee chuckled.

Ziva chuckled as well. All McGee could think about was how much Ziva's laughter lifted his spirits.

"_McGee?"_

"What!?" McGee said, startled.

"_I have to go."_ she said, _"Call me if anything changes."_

"Will do Ziva." McGee said, not noting the reluctance in his voice.

"_Goodbye McGee."_

Ziva slowly closed her phone. She really just wanted to talk to McGee. She enjoyed their conversations.

"Is Chelsea ok?" Abby popped up beside her, her head tilted in concern.

"Yes. Ducky says that she has a bug." Ziva answered, heading toward the elevator.

"Hey Ziva?"

She turned from the elevator doors and looked back to see Abby looking at her intensely.

"Yes Abby?"

"Are _you_ ok?" Abby asked sincerely.

"Yes Abby," Ziva said.

Abby still stared at her.

"I promise." Ziva assured Abby as the doors closed in front of her.

After the doors closed, Ziva smacked herself in the back of her head. She was becoming too relaxed. Her emotions were too clear upon her face. Her father would be furious at her lack of Mossad demeanor.

"Glad you could join us David." Gibbs said from his desk as she settled at hers.

But before Ziva could say anything Gibbs phone rang and she and Tony instinctively grabbed the straps of their gear bags.

"Alright. Ok. On our way."

Tony's usual question of where they were headed was halted by the murderous expression Gibbs had as he threw his phone on the ground. He motioned for his two quite frightened agents to grab their gear and follow him.

"I think we have another dead marine." Tony said quietly to Ziva.

"Yes we do DiNozzo!" Gibbs snapped, causing Tony to flinch, "Shut up and call Ducky!"

Gibbs was not used to having a case that he didn't have the upper hand in. To Gibbs, every death beyond his knowledge of the killings was his fault. He was supposed to stop the madness. But whoever was doing this was good, and that left Gibbs very, very pissed off.

The crime scene was a solemn one. Lt. Josie Brenner had been stabbed through the stomach in the ally behind a strip mall. Ziva and Tony went about their duties silently. After seeing a sixth body, there was nothing left to feel but revulsion.

"Uh-Dr. Mallard?" Palmer stammered, breaking the silence. "What's that?"

Ducky moved closer to the young woman's mouth where Palmer was pointing, wide-eye.

"Hello, hello, hello!" Ducky clucked, removing a paper from her mouth, "What have we here?"

"What is it Ducky?" Gibbs snapped.

Tony and Ziva gathered closer as Ducky handed the paper to Gibbs.

"_Agent Gibbs- I think it would be in your good interest to leave my business alone. Or more innocents will die._"

They all looked at the Lt.'s stomach.

"She wasn't pregnant." Ducky said grimly "Dear God. Was that signed Jethro?"

"No." Gibbs said, visibly trying to calm himself, "DiNozzo, David, get every scrap of evidence you can find."

"Duck," Gibbs said as the other two scattered, "This Lt. died as a warning to me."

"Jethro."

Gibbs looked down at Ducky. Ducky stood, holding Gibbs' eyes as he did so.

"Do not make this your fault." Ducky said, in a tone he rarely used, "It will drive you crazy."

"It already has." Gibbs said after a moment.

Ducky said a silent prayer as Gibbs walked away. The others would have to walk on eggshells around him.

Ducky returned to the body after telling Palmer to get the gurney. He pushed aside the collar of the Lt.'s shirt and gasped.

"Oh my God."

Carved into the shoulder of the unfortunate Lt. was a threat.

_I will return for Chelsea._

_PHOOMPH!_


	11. McHallmark

A/N Alright, just a little more fluff, then the case. Plz review. Thanks for all the reviews. And now for your viewing pleasure…Chapter Eleven.

Ziva drove home as fast as she could, faster than her usual fast. After Gibbs told her to get Chelsea and McGee and bring them back to NCIS, Ziva couldn't move fast enough. She drove on pure adrenaline induced by the words carved into the Lt.'s shoulder. No one was going to hurt Chelsea. Or McGee.

She arrived at in front of her building, where McGee stood with Chelsea, who was asleep in his arms, a suitcase next to him. She had called him the minute she saw the threat.

"McGee! Chelsea!" she gasped, getting out of her car.

"We're ok Ziva." McGee attempted to quietly calm her as she brushed a kiss on Chelsea's little pale face.

Ziva's head snapped up, eyes ablaze. McGee stepped back.

"We are not ok." she hissed, "There is someone after our daughter."

With that Ziva gathered Chelsea in her arms and began to strap her in her car seat. McGee remained where he stood, frozen by the two words 'our daughter'.

"McGee!" Ziva snapped, waving a hand in front of his face, "We have to-"

In one swift move McGee grabbed the hand in front of him, pulling Ziva to him. Not even thinking of how many ways she could kill him, he cupped her face and then roughly brought her lips to his. Ziva stiffened, then relaxed into it.

"Daddy?"

The two jumped apart with a gasp at Chelsea's sleepy murmur.

"We have to go." Ziva said, going around to the drivers side, avoiding his eyes.

McGee watched her. She had done it again. Shut him out. Then again, he was lucky she hadn't shut him out of the world.

Gibbs waited impatiently for Ziva, McGee and Chelsea to arrive back at NCIS. Nobody was allowed to hurt his people or children. Gibbs was leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed, pretending to be asleep. He wanted to think without Tony's chatter.

"Boss!" came a hissed whisper, "Boss!"

Gibbs growled. Apparently, DiNozzo couldn't help himself.

"What!" he barked, snapping his eyes open.

Gibbs watched Tony jump back from his desk.

"Uh-hey Boss." Tony said, straightening his tie nervously, "Ducky just called me and is asking for you."

After smacking Tony and instructing him to call him when Ziva and McGee got back, Gibbs headed down to Autopsy.

"What's up Ducky?" Gibbs said, stifling a yawn as he entered the room.

"You need rest Jethro." Ducky said, smiling.

"Not yet Duck." Gibbs said, glaring, "Tony said you wanted to see me?"

"Yes," Ducky nodded, "I wanted to talk to you about what else I found on Lt. Brenner's body."

"Another message?" Gibbs questioned, stepping closer to the body Ducky stood over.

"Perhaps." Ducky said, "Do you see this scarring upon her other shoulder?"

"Yes." Gibbs said, squinting, "What is it?"

"Where are your glasses Jethro?" Ducky scolded, then continued, "Our Lt. here had a tattoo removed."

"Is it possible to uncover it?" Gibbs asked curtly.

"Gibbs!"

Gibbs headed over to the little monitor set up at Ducky's desk. On it, Abby was shaking with excitement.

"What do you got Abs?"

"I uncovered the tattoo Gibbs!" Abby answered happily.

"Well?"

"It is a flower with the words 'The Gifter' in it!"

"Thanks Abby," Gibbs said, "I owe you."

Gibbs shut off the monitor before Abby could start another monologue. He turned to look at Ducky who had resumed one of his one sided conversations with the dead.

"…and he just doesn't realize that it is not his-"

"The tattoo was a gift." Gibbs interrupted.

"A gift?" Ducky said, "From whom?"

Before Gibbs could answer, his cell rang. He merely waved as he left autopsy, leaving Ducky confused.

Tony knew something was up when McGee and Ziva arrived with Chelsea. Believe it or not, Tony was very observant. And when they arrived, Tony watched their body language, quite intrigued. Ziva looked extremely conflicted. She obviously was being pulled apart by her Mossad ways and true feelings. She was also very stiff, which meant that she was distancing herself. McGee looked green around the gills. That meant he was either nervous or embarrassed. Then again, that could be the result of Ziva's driving. But he also looked disappointed and regretful. But before Tony could say anything, he saw Chelsea in McGee's arms.

"She looks like she needs to go to the hospital!" Tony whispered loudly as he approached McGee.

"I am taking her down to Ducky." McGee said, walking through the bullpen, "Wanna come?"

Tony nodded. McGee was telling him that he wanted to talk.

"What did you do?" Tony whispered.

McGee just sighed.

Ziva watched Tony follow McGee out of the bullpen. She saw how they had quietly spoke. McGee was going to tell Tony, mostly because Tony was like a big brother to him.

Her mind was whirling. Ziva had been kissed many times, from a few boyfriends here and there, undercover kisses, she had even kissed Tony. But nothing could compare to McGee's.

"Where are Tony and McGee?" Gibbs barked, jolting her out of her musings.

"They went to take Chelsea to Ducky," Ziva said, sitting up straighter, "Her fever went a little higher."

Gibbs stopped behind his desk and took a closer at Ziva. She was a wreck. And he had a feeling he knew why.

"Conference room Ziver." he told her, using his pet name for to ease some tension.

It worried Gibbs that Ziva hadn't put up a fight. Usually she would bombard him with defensive questions or blame Tony for something. But she followed him quietly into the elevator.

"What's the matter Ziva?" Gibbs asked, the second he flipped the power switch.

"It is nothing Gibbs." Ziva answered, head held high.

"That is a load of crap." Gibbs promptly retorted.

"I promise." Ziva said, stone faced.

Gibbs resisted the urge to head slap her. It was time to bring out the big guns.

"I am beginning to think that you need off this case." Gibbs said, tone serious.

"That is not necessary!" Ziva gasped.

"Well then," Gibbs said, knowing he'd cracked her, "tell me why I shouldn't."

"I am just worried about Chelsea." Ziva admitted, all though painfully.

"And..?" Gibbs prodded.

"McGee and myself." Ziva finished in a hurry, "But it will not effect my work, Gibbs."

Gibbs stared at her for a moment, then nodded slowly.

"Rule number 12." was his reply, sending the elevator to their correct floor.

Meanwhile; another elevator was stopped in the building.

"So what's going on McGoo?" Tony asked lightly.

"I kissed her." McGee blurted out, a pained look on his face.

Tony stared at him, wide-eyed and open-mouthed. Tony was shocked silent.

"Uh, Tony?" McGee said carefully.

"Like- your lips touched- uh- hers!?" Tony asked, his voice a few octaves higher than normal.

Feeling his face go scarlet, McGee merely nodded.

"And she didn't kill you!?"

McGee shook his head, slightly annoyed at Tony's incredulous tone.

"She ignored me." McGee said.

"Oooh." Tony said, cringing, "That's bad. What the _hell_ possessed you to kiss Miss Mossad Ninja!?"

McGee continued to feel stupid as he told Tony a quick synopsis of what had happened.

"So because she called Chelsea 'our daughter' you had to kiss her?" Tony summed up, a goofy grin on his face.

"Yes!" McGee said defensively, "Don't laugh!"

"You're a sentimental guy, Tim." Tony said, clapping a hand on McGee's shoulder, "And boy, has that caused you hell McHallmark!"

McGee just turned on the elevator as Tony cracked up beside him. It was an almost decent conversation.

Tony punched his shoulder. That was as close as Tony got to "I got your back bro!"

_PHOOMPH!_


	12. Ink and Ice

A/N Plz Review. It will few days until my next update, I am a little stuck. But don't worry. Disclaimer: Nothin belongs to me except Chelsea.

When the four agents came together in the bullpen, things were tense. But they reverted themselves into agent-mode, showing no sign of their current predicaments.

"What did you find out about Lt. Brenner, DiNozzo?" Gibbs barked, parking himself in the middle of the bull pen.

"She was a reformed gangster." Tony said, clicking at his computer, "She joined the Marines to avoid a jail sentence."

"It was documented that she had her tattoo removed at the tattoo parlor where she received it." Ziva added from her own computer.

"Homies Tattoo Cave, Boss." McGee said, jotting down notes, "Here's the address."

Gibbs grabbed the paper and nodded towards Ziva.

"Ziva," he said, "you're with me. DiNozzo search for family members. McGee, you follow up with Abby, then follow the Lt.'s paper trails."

After the chorus of 'on it boss', the team split to their duties quietly.

Entering the Homies Tattoo Cave caused Gibbs to frantically try to remember the last time he had a tetanus shot. Ziva was counting roaches and had reach 21 by the time they got to the front desk.

"This is disgusting." Ziva said under her breath, causing Gibbs to nod his head slightly in agreement.

"Yo, 'sup."

Ziva tried not to make gagging noises as a middle aged Latino walked up to them. He obviously did not know how to bathe, or do laundry, considering his white wife beater was yellow-gray. But it matched his teeth, or what was left of them.

"Special Agent Gibbs, David, NCIS." Gibbs said, stone faced as usual.

"NCIS?" the man said, confused, "Wait, you all ain't the health inspectors are ya?"

As much as Gibbs wanted to freak this dude out, he had more serious business. He pulled out a picture and put it in front of the alarmed man.

"You seen her before?" Gibbs asked him.

"Aww man," disgust filling the man's face, "You know she's dead in this picture right?"

Gibbs answered him with a glare.

"Well, yeah, that's Josie," he said, "but I ain't seen her since she come back here to get rid of a perfectly good tat."

"So you did her tattoo, mister-?" Ziva said.

"Charlie Hernandez." Charlie answered, "and no, I only work the high rollers."

"Who 'worked' Josie Brenner, Charlie?" Gibbs asked, his natural inpatients starting to show.

"That would've been Spinner, G." Charlie said after a moment.

"G?" Gibbs said menacingly.

"Er-Sir?" Charlie corrected.

"Is Spinner here?" Ziva asked, trying to turn them back to the topic.

"No, he's off tonight." Charlie said, visibly cowering under Gibbs' stare.

"Address." Gibbs growled.

Charlie quickly wrote it down on a piece of paper. He apparently wanted them out of there.

"I didn't tell you this." Charlie told them in a stage whisper.

Ziva and Gibbs just rolled their eyes and left the gaudy parlor quietly and quickly.

"Should we have Ducky check us out when we get back?" Ziva asked Gibbs lightly as she got in the passenger seat.

Gibbs gave a gruff bark of laughter in response.

Back at NCIS, Tony and McGee gathered into a 'campfire' with Abby.

"Lt. Brenner's only living relatives are a grandmother and a brother." Tony said with a sigh, "Grandma is ninety-nine and senile, and brother is spending twenty-nine to life at Rikers in NYC."

"I traced her money records." McGee added, "There was nothing out of the ordinary."

"I also spoke to some of the Lt.'s co-workers." Tony said.

"And?" Abby said, setting her chin on his shoulder.

"And.." Tony nudged Abby's pointy chin off his shoulder with a grin, "They all say that she was a good Marine and that she had left the gang stuff behind."

"They're sure?" McGee asked.

"Yep." Tony said.

McGee yawned long and hard, sucking in air loudly. He was really, really tired.

"Leave some oxygen for us McGee!" Abby chuckled.

"McVacume!" Tony added for good measure.

"I'm gonna go check on Chelsea." McGee responded with a slight smile.

Tony and Abby watched McGee head sleepily towards the elevator.

"He loves her." Abby said, throwing her arms around Tony's neck.

"Who!?" Tony said, startled.

"Chelsea. Duh!" Abby said, squeezing a relieved Tony.

"Hey Ducky." McGee greeted the doctor.

"She is stable, my dear boy," Ducky automatically assured him, gesturing towards the little cot set up beside his desk.

Chelsea was bundled up in a blanket on the cot with Bert the Farting Hippo as her pillow. The hippo made McGee smile.

"So, how are you?" Ducky asked.

"Oh, Ducky," McGee yawned, "I am so tired."

Ducky chuckled when McGee's eyes widened.

"Gibbs didn't hear me did he?" McGee said frantically looking around.

"Where are you and Ziva and Chelsea staying?" Ducky asked, ushering McGee into his desk chair.

"At my house." came a familiar bark from the autopsy entrance.

"Hello Jethro." Ducky greeted.

"Hey boss!" McGee said, jumping out of Ducky's chair.

"Sit, McGee." Gibbs said, "Don't want you passed out on the floor."

McGee sat back down in relief. "You three will stay in my basement for safety." Gibbs said.

"The basement?" Ducky questioned.

"Well I'm not just gonna toss 'em down there if that's what you think Duck." Gibbs said sarcastically.

Ducky merely chuckled. He went over to check on Chelsea again.

"What time is it?" McGee asked, having left his watch at home in the hurry to get to NCIS.

"Ten-thirty Timothy." Ducky answered.

"Let's go." Gibbs said, lifting Chelsea into his arms.

"Gladly." McGee said.

McGee was exhausted and was glad that Gibbs was acknowledging it. But he was worried about sharing closed quarters with Ziva.

"Did you find anything out at the tattoo parlor?" McGee asked as they entered the elevator.

"The address of the person who gave the Lt. the tattoo." Gibbs said, in a hushed tone, "You and Tony will check it out tomorrow."

McGee sighed in relief. He would much rather be paired with DiNozzo right now.

"Go get Ziva and meet me at her car." Gibbs said once the elevator opened to their level.

After practically shoving McGee out of the elevator, Gibbs quickly shut the doors.

"Ziva?" McGee said, mentally slapping himself for sounding so timid.

"Is it time to go McGee?" she asked, straightening up her desk.

Ziva wouldn't look at him and her tone was cool. As ice. It took everything in him not to shiver.

"Yes." McGee answered, then cleared his throat, "Gibbs is waiting at our- I mean- _your_ car."

Tony sneezed from his desk. Only it was more like '_nice save_' than '_achoo.'_

"Bless you, Tony." Ziva said, brushing past McGee out of the bull pen.

This time McGee _and_ Tony shivered.

"Good luck with the Ice Queen, McGee." Tony offered as McGee slowly walked towards the elevator.

McGee just banged his head on the wall as he waited for the elevator to arrive.

"Poor kid." Tony said.

"Who!?"

Tony cringed at the peppy voice that belonged to his favorite forensic scientist. She could get anything out of him. He knew he couldn't lie to her. Crap.

"Well, you see Abby…"

_PHOOMPH!_


	13. New Clues

A/N Ok, all of the sudden, this came to me. Plz Review. Disclaimer: Ya know. (PS Braddock mall isn't real, but in Episode Deception.)

The strong smell of sawdust and bourbon filled the air as McGee and Ziva descended down the stairs into Gibbs' basement.

"Must we stay down here Gibbs?" Ziva asked, feeling a little smothered.

"You can never be too careful." was the gruff response, "You three get settled. I am going to look around and lock up."

Ziva looked around and saw that Gibbs had set up three cots in front of his work bench. McGee went to the middle cot to settle Chelsea in. Ziva internally cringed. He was putting a barrier between them. But Ziva knew that she'd have to talk to him sooner or later.

"Set her at the end." she said, her voice visibly startling McGee, "We have to talk."

McGee wordlessly followed her instructions. Ziva could almost hear the blood pumping through his veins. She almost felt bad for being so intimidating.

"Alright." Gibbs said as he returned, "I'll be upstairs if you need me or some food. 'Night McGee. 'Night Ziver."

"Goodnight Gibbs." they both said together.

They silently settled into their own cots. They faced each other and didn't speak for a few minutes.

"I'm sorry I kissed you!" McGee blurted out, the silence piercingly loud.

"Are you?" Ziva asked, staring.

"Uh- I'm sorry I kissed you without permission?" he responded, asking more than telling.

More silence. McGee was afraid he was going to go crazy waiting.

"We have a lot to think about." Ziva said, avoiding his question.

"What do you mean?" McGee asked.

"When the case is solved," Ziva said, sounding vulnerable, "are we going to give Chelsea back to Social Security?"

"Social _Services_." McGee corrected with a smile, "And I am not giving her back."

"Neither am I." Ziva said after a moment.

It got quiet again. This time it was because of the weight their words held.

"So what do we do?" Ziva finally asked.

"Hell if I know." McGee answered.

They both yawned in unison.

"Goodnight Ziva." McGee said, closing his eyes.

"Goodnight Tim." Ziva answered.

McGee's eyes shot open at Ziva's use of his first name. But Ziva had already started to snore.

"I'd kiss you all over again." he whispered into the darkness.

Upstairs, Gibbs was having quite the internal war.

His hard-core, no-nonsense side was ready to march downstairs and cut through the tension between two of his best agents. To tell them to knock it off and tattoo Rule 12 into their foreheads.

His softer, more relaxed side was applauding McGee's attachment to Chelsea. He knew the love a father had for a daughter. He also wanted to encourage whatever romance happened between McGee and Ziva.

"Aww hell." Gibbs muttered, sitting up straighter in his chair.

He was in for a long night. He was going to need extra coffee.

The next morning, Tony and McGee headed out to find Spinner, also known as Henry Trueborn. McGee was in a better mood. He was rested, things were ok with Ziva, and Chelsea's fever broke. Tony, on the other hand, was acting really nice to McGee. Too nice.

"Ok, Tony," McGee finally said, "What's up?"

"What do you mean Tim?" Tony said, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel nervously.

"You're acting really nervous." McGee said, "What did you do!?"

"What makes you think I did anything?" Tony asked, focusing too much on the road, seeing as traffic was at a complete stop.

"Because you have called me by my first name all morning and have not made a single annoying remark." McGee pointed out.

"Pshhh." Tony stammered, "What- What are you talking about you- you- dodo!?"

"_Dodo_?" McGee said in amusement, "Really Tony? _That's_ all you've got? _Dodo?_"

Tony just grumbled in response, cursing at the morning D.C. traffic. It was taking to long and McGee was very suspicious.

"Dammit!" Tony cried, laying into his car horn, "Move."

"Tony." McGee said calmly, trying not to laugh, "We are in a pile-up four miles long. We are _not_ going to move anytime soon."

Tony sighed nervously.

"So spill, Di-Guilty." McGee said, playing off of Tony's name calling ways.

Tony glared at him, but realized that sooner or later he'd have to tell McGee that he had told Abby everything. He just would much rather be in an open, public place where McGee would be forced into _not_ killing him. Believe it or not, his little Probie could scare him when he got pissed enough. He attempted one last blasting of the horn before turning to talk to McGee.

"I may have spilled what happened to someone else." Tony said, his words tumbling out of his mouth in a hurry.

"You told Abby!" McGee nearly screeched.

"That was fast." Tony said.

"Do you realize that she will bombard me with questions?" McGee said.

But, much to Tony's relief, the traffic was picking up.

"We'll be at Henry Trueborn's in a few minutes." Tony said gleefully.

McGee grabbed one of Tony's favorite magazines that lay between them and threw it out the window.

"Hey!" Tony cried out.

They spent the rest of the ride in an angry silence.

"Henry Trueborn!" Tony yelled, rapping loudly on the oak door, "NCIS, we would like to speak with you."

"That would depend on what NCIS is." came the deep voice behind the door.

"Naval Criminal Investigative Services." McGee yelled tiredly, because it really did get old.

Henry opened the door slightly. McGee struggled to refrain from visibly gulping. Henry Trueborn was a built, tough-looking, 6 foot 5 inch African-American.

"What do navy cops want with me?" Henry said opening the door after staring Tony and McGee down.

"Do you remember giving a tattoo to this woman?" Tony asked him, showing a photo of Lt. Josie Brenner.

"Yeah, and I also took it off, so what?" Henry said in a bored tone.

"We need to know if she told you who paid for it." McGee said.

"She didn't pay for it?" Henry asked.

"Think real hard." Tony piped up, backing away when Henry glared at him, "Her tattoo said 'The Gifter'."

Henry stroked his chin for a beat than snapped his fingers. McGee and Tony jumped at the action.

"She said it was a gift from a man who saved her from jail." Henry said, "She was real giggly about the guy, but said he was a secret. I think she was drunk."

Tony and McGee exchanged glances.

"Thanks for your help Mr. Trueborn."

Tony and McGee headed back to their car.

"So this Gifter guy bailed her out once." McGee said to Tony, their argument forgotten at the moment.

"That means there should be a record of it." Tony concluded with a smile, dialing on his cell, "Boss. McGee and I have something."

Meanwhile, Ziva was going back through each of the victims. Children were still unaccounted for. It was tedious work, slowed down by the fact that she called the Director every half hour to see if Chelsea was ok.

Ziva was looking for some sort of pattern. She was looking to see what they had in common. A few shared banks and grocery stores, but not all.

Then she spotted something.

"Gibbs!" she cried out, only to realize that he had gone down to Abby's lab, "Shit!"

Down in the lab, Gibbs was talking with Abby, who had found an unknown hair on Lt. Brenner.

"There is nothing in any of the data bases Gibbs." Abby informed him sadly.

"Why not?" Gibbs asked, surprised that Abby would call him down for bad news.

"Its synthetic Gibbs."

"Fake hair." Gibbs deduced, "But you know where it came from."

"From the elements in the hair," Abby said, clicking away, "it is from the Hair to Dare brand. Sold only in the store Hair Brained."

"Where's that?" Gibbs demanded.

"Oh so brisk." Abby said smartly, but continued at his glare, "It's at Braddock Mall."

Gibbs gave her a quick peck on the cheek and hurried out of the lab, only to collide with Ziva.

"Ziva what-"

"I have found a connection!" Ziva interrupted, panting.

"A connection for what?" Gibbs asked

"A connection between the victims, though not Lt Brenner."

"Gibbs!" Tony yelped exiting the elevators, McGee on his heels.

"I am speaking Tony!" Ziva snapped.

"This is more important!" Tony snapped back.

"You do not even know what I am talking about!" Ziva snapped, punching Tony's arm.

"OW! Was that really necessary!" Tony yelled, "You're lucky I cant hit a girl."

McGee was watching this exchange in amusement, but Gibbs wasn't. He let out a shrill whistle that caused his agents to cringe and cover their ears.

"To the bullpen." was all Gibbs said, "NOW."

Gibbs was already frustrated. He didn't need five year olds on his hands. He gave Abby a finger wave and entered the elevator. Once it began moving, he hit the power switch.

"This is too important to be screwing around." Gibbs said menacingly.

The three younger agents nodded their heads. They all muttered apologies.

"Hey!" Gibbs yelled, "Don't apologize!"

Again, they nodded, this time not saying a word. Gibbs turned the elevator back on.

"Let's get this guy."


	14. A Turn of Events

A/N ok, a lot more case. Plz Review. Reviews have slowed. Is there anything I could change? Plz be nice. Disclaimer: ditto.

Once they all entered the bullpen, Gibbs began pointing.

"Ziva first, me next, Tony last." he said, leaving no room for argument.

"I found a connection between all of the victims except Lt. Brenner." Ziva said, "They all went to the welfare building."

"So they were short on cash?" Tony asked, eyebrows raised.

"Well, that is what was really odd." Ziva said, grabbing some papers from her desk, "They were all in the military at the time they visited."

"They wouldn't have been eligible for welfare." concluded McGee.

"Exactly." Ziva said, smiling at him, "So why the welfare visit?"

After a beat of silence, Gibbs nodded.

"Alright." he said, "Abby has found a hair."

"We have DNA!" Tony cried.

"No DiNozzo." Gibbs snapped, "The hair is fake."

"But Abby found where it came from." McGee said with a smile.

"Tony?" Gibbs said with a nod his direction.

"McGee and I found out that Josie Brenner was bailed out by The Gifter." Tony said.

"Did you get a name?" Gibbs asked.

"It was fake." Tony said.

"How is this good news?" Gibbs snapped.

"The Gifter put down an address in his paperwork." Tony said quickly, "McGee drove past, it was an abandoned shack."

"We'll check it out." Gibbs said, "Could be evidence there."

"So to sum up," McGee said, ever the organizer, "We have a common link between victims, a traceable hair, and an address."

"Damn." Ziva and Tony said in unison.

"Where do we start?" McGee asked, looking to Gibbs for direction.

"McGee, Ziva you both head to the welfare office" Gibbs said after a brief moment of being overwhelmed at their new found luck, "DiNozzo and I will hit the shack."

With the official instructions, they packed up to go. Tony and Gibbs left first with Tony nattering about some movie the case related to.

"Do you want to go see Chelsea before we leave?" McGee asked Ziva shyly.

"I would like that." Ziva answered softly.

Wordlessly they headed for the stairs. And only if one looked really close, they would have seen McGee quickly squeeze Ziva's hand.

"Hey Cynthia." McGee said, "We came to check on Chelsea."

Suddenly, Chelsea burst from Jenny's office.

"Daddy! Mommy!"

McGee saw Ziva stiffen in surprise, but she smiled at Chelsea anyway. Chelsea's fever had broken earlier that morning and she was back to her happy self.

"Hey Chels." McGee said, hoisting the giggly girl into his arms, "Are you feeling ok?"

Chelsea nodded her head hard. Ziva and McGee laughed.

"Go home?" she asked, her blue eyes sparkling.

"Not yet Tetelah." Ziva said, gently brushing her hand on Chelsea's face.

Chelsea scrunched her face at the news.

"We have to go Chelsea." McGee said, handing the little girl to Cynthia.

"Bye, bye Mommy!" Chelsea chimed, "Bye, bye Daddy!"

McGee and Ziva waved as they left the directors office.

"She is adorable." Ziva said as they descended the stairs.

"You didn't mind that she called you Mommy." McGee said as they reached the elevator.

"No, I did not." Ziva said in a whisper.

Meanwhile, Gibbs and Tony had reached the shack. It was a shabby place that seemed to be boards and nails.

"Whoa." Tony breathed when the door almost fell on him.

"DiNozzo," Gibbs said, "Look around the perimeter."

"On it Boss." Tony said.

The shack was a basic square, so the search was quick.

"Did you find anything?" Tony asked Gibbs as he entered the shack.

"The place is pretty clean for a run down shack." Gibbs said.

"Crap." Tony said.

They searched a second time, but found nothing.

"Maybe McGee and Ziva found something." Tony said, discouraged that his discovery hadn't lead to anything.

After a long and silent ride, Ziva and McGee entered the DC Welfare building.

"Can I help you?" said the plump elderly woman behind the front desk.

"Uh- yes." McGee said, flashing his badge, "Special Agent McGee, David, NCIS."

"Ah," the woman said, "what can I do for you?"

"We need to find out if these women applied for welfare." Ziva said, handing the woman a list.

"I'm afraid I cannot give out that information." Flo, as her name tag said, stated.

"We can get a warrant." Ziva said, lightly threatening the woman.

"I am afraid you'll have to." Flo said apologetically.

"We'll be back." McGee said politely.

"That was a crust." Ziva said as they walked away.

McGee gave her a funny look, then smiled.

"I think you mean 'bust'." McGee said, "Not crust."

Ziva smiled and let out a little giggle, then gasped. She covered her mouth with her hand.

"It's ok." McGee said, smiling back, unlocking the car.

Suddenly, shots rang out. McGee and Ziva grabbed their guns, ducking down.

"We'll get Chelsea!" someone screamed, followed by the squeal of tires.

McGee and Ziva were unable to look at the vehicle because the shots continued as the vehicle sped off.

"You ok Ziva!?" McGee said, hurrying to her side.

"Just a scratch Tim." Ziva said, clutching her shoulder.

Ziva had been grazed by a bullet, but McGee felt panicky any way.

"McGee, I am alright." Ziva said, even as the pain was evident in her voice.

McGee just rapidly dialed 911 and Gibbs.

"We're on our way McGee!" Gibbs said into his cell, snapping it shut, "Let's go DiNozzo! Ziva's hurt."

When they arrived on the scene, Ziva was sitting in an ambulance, a paramedic tending to her wound. McGee was collecting shells, but constantly checking up on Ziva.

"What happened McGee?" Gibbs asked.

McGee was startled, something he hadn't really done since his probie days.

"McGee?"

"We were leaving when shots rang out." McGee said, obviously shaken, "Somebody yelled that they would get Chelsea."

Gibbs noticed how McGee's eyes kept pointing in the direction of Ziva. He saw how McGee wanted to maintain professionalism, yet yearned to be by Ziva's side.

"Go to her." Gibbs said quietly, so only McGee could hear.

McGee hurried over to Ziva.

"DiNozzo." Gibbs said, "Find whatever shells you can."

Gibbs went ahead and photographed the tire treads, mentally scolding himself. He never should have let two targets out together.

He smacked the back of his head. That made it a little better.

"McGee, I assure you," Ziva said, her arm being bandaged, "I am ok."

McGee nodded, but couldn't seem to say anything. Ziva could almost see the wheels turning in McGee's mind.

"McGee?"

"Alright." was all he said.

"Have you checked on Chelsea?" Ziva asked, trying to find something for the hovering man to do.

At that, he snapped to attention, dialing away.

Ziva was amazed at how attentive McGee had been. McGee had held her until the ambulance arrived. He had commanded the paramedics to be careful with her. She was wondering why she didn't mind relying on someone other than herself.

"Chelsea is fine." McGee said, bringing Ziva out of her thoughts.

"Good." she said, relieved.

"You're all set." the paramedic said, setting his gear back in the vehicle.

"Thank you." Ziva and McGee said at the same time.

"You ready to go McGee, Ziva?" Gibbs asked, breaking them out of a trance.

They both nodded, following Gibbs to his car, as Tony drove their car back. It was now dark, and McGee was exhausted. But Ziva was falling asleep and her head landed on his shoulder.

After collecting Chelsea, and explaining that Mommy had an 'owie', Gibbs returned every one to his basement.

"Goodnight Chelsea." McGee said, kissing her forehead.

"'Night Daddy."

"Goodnight Tetelah." Ziva said, doing the same.

"'Night Mommy."

This time, Ziva's heart warmed.

It was a silent agreement between McGee and Ziva, that tonight they would rest, tomorrow was Saturday.

In another part of the city a man was speaking harshly to a frightened woman.

"You will give up your child." the man hissed, "We had an agreement."

"But I want my child!" the woman cried, a hand on her swollen belly.

The man gripped her arms tightly, causing the woman to cry out.

"You will give me the child!"

"No!"

Suddenly, the woman's sobs were heard no more.


	15. A Picnic Amongst Misery

Authors Note: Sorry for the LONG delay. My lap top has decided to be extremely STUPID. So here ya go. Disclaimer: The Usual.

"Gibbs!" he barked sleepily into his cell phone the next morning.

Gibbs sat upright at the information he was given. After a brisk goodbye, Gibbs snapped his phone shut, opening it once more to dial.

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs said at the mumbled greeting, "Get your ass up, another woman was killed."

"_What 'bout McGee and Ziva, Boss?_" Tony asked, stumbling into his bathroom.

"They are staying at the house for today. Move." Gibbs barked, hanging up.

Gibbs hurried to get ready. He was so frustrated that the killer seemed to keep moving ahead. He went to the basement stairs, finding its three inhabitants still snoring. So he left a not on the kitchen counter.

He needed a break in the case. Or he might just self-destruct.

McGee shuffled around Gibbs' kitchen for something to eat when he saw the note. He went white just as Ziva set foot into the kitchen.

"McGee!" she said, hurrying to his side, thinking that he had gotten what Chelsea had.

"The note, Zee." McGee said handing her the paper.

"_Ziver and McGee,_" Ziva read aloud, leaning into McGee, "_You two STAY here for today. DiNozzo and I have another body to go to. I will call you. STAY HERE. That's an order. Gibbs._"

Ziva sighed.

"Let us just spend the day with Chelsea." Ziva said, setting the note back on the counter.

"We might as well." McGee said, nodding, "We have nothing else to do."

They both stood in silence, thinking.

"I've got it!" McGee exclaimed, snapping his fingers, "An indoor picnic!"

"Indoor what?" Ziva asked.

McGee had forgotten that Ziva had never really had a childhood.

"We have a regular picnic inside." he explained, beginning to dig around the kitchen, "Sarah and I used to have them in the winter or when it was raining."

Ziva was still not too clear on the concept, but seeing McGee's enthusiasm and smile, she was willing to go along.

"I will go and dress Chelsea." Ziva said.

Ziva smiled as McGee rummaged through the fridge, then headed downstairs.

Chelsea was still asleep, lightly snoring. Ziva almost hated to wake her.

"Chelsea." Ziva murmured, shaking her tiny body softly.

"Whu?" Chelsea asked, one eye open, her short blond curls all awry.

"It is time to wake up Tetelah." Ziva said, brushing some loose curls away from her face.

"Morning?" Chelsea asked, sitting up, rubbing her eyes sleepily with curled hands.

"Yes Tetelah," Ziva said, hoisting Chelsea into her arms, "It is morning."

"Daddy?" Chelsea said, her eyes wide with alarm.

"He is upstairs." Ziva assured her, walking them over to Chelsea's bag of clothes.

Ziva dressed Chelsea in a white t-shirt with a red and white checkered jumper over it. She thought the little watermelon embroidered on the front of it looked adorable

"You girls ready?" McGee asked popping his head in the doorway.

"Yes." Ziva said, taking Chelsea back into her arms and heading up the stairs, "Let us have our indoor picnic."

McGee and Ziva shared a smile at the top of the stairs.

Meanwhile, Gibbs was angrily romping around a crime scene. Their latest victim had been killed under an underpass.

"Her name is Laurie Wendell, Boss." Tony said, his tired eyes mirroring Gibbs', "She was 7 months pregnant."

Tony cringed as Gibbs let out a string of curses.

"She is a Petty Officer who went on early maternity leave at her doctor's orders." Tony continued, "She recently became engaged to one Corporal Thomas Grey."

Gibbs looked up. That was different. The usual M.O. had changed. All the women killed so far were single. This was something new. He turned his attention to Ducky who was just removing the liver probe.

"Not even 24 hours Jethro." Ducky said solemnly.

"The same way as the others?" Gibbs asked, avoiding elaboration.

"Through the stomach." Ducky confirmed

"Boss?"

"What is it DiNozzo?" Gibbs growled.

"The Petty Officer's car had been located." Tony said, glancing at his notepad, "It's across the street."

"Let's go." Gibbs said, leading the way.

Then Gibbs did something he hadn't done very often since Shannon and Kelly's deaths. He prayed. He prayed for a break in the case. He prayed that not another soon-to-be mother would be slain by the Gifter.

Back at Gibbs' house, Ziva and McGee were have a good time at their indoor picnic with Chelsea. McGee had managed to make hamburgers, had found coleslaw and Jell-O in Gibbs' fridge and some cookies. They had settled on an old blanket in the living room by setting the coffee table aside.

"Ello?" Chelsea said, pointing to a bowl that had red gelatin.

"You want more?" McGee asked her with a smile.

Chelsea nodded furiously, her neatened curls flying about.

Ziva laughed. She was having a good time. Chelsea was having a blast too. Ziva and McGee had talked and talked. Ziva had decided to share a little more about her childhood because he had shared with her. And it was alright. He didn't judge or become indifferent to some of the horrors she had been through or what she had done.

McGee's cell phone interrupted her thoughts. The mood suddenly darkened as they both recalled what was going on beyond this happy scene.

"McGee."

McGee listened to Tony, thanked him for the update, hung up and promptly cursed, startling Chelsea.

"I'm sorry honey." he said, pulling her into his lap.

"What did Tony say?" Ziva asked reluctantly.

"The woman that was killed was 7 months pregnant." McGee said grimly, "They have found her car, but Tony said that it didn't make Gibbs any better.

"Surely he thought of that as progress?" Ziva asked.

"It is never good when a suspects M.O. changes." McGee said, rocking a sleepy looking Chelsea in his arms.

"Changes how?"

"All of our victims have been single mothers." McGee told her, "This victim was engaged to be married."

McGee was right. A change in a suspects M.O. usually meant that he has become agitated, even more dangerous.

McGee gently laid a sleeping Chelsea on the blanket and began checking all the doors and windows. Ziva knew Gibbs had locked them in safely, but she decided it didn't hurt if they double checked.

Tony and Gibbs examined the Petty Officer's four-door Saturn. Tony was rummaging through the glove box.

"The glove box is full of receipts." Tony said, grasping a handful, "This one here is from a year and a half ago."

"Bag 'em, Tag 'em, and get 'em to Abby." Gibbs barked, slamming the trunk shut.

So far, the receipts and some finger prints, which probably belonged to the Petty Officer anyway, were all they had. He hoped Abby could get something off of the receipts. And tomorrow McGee and Ziva would return to work. They needed everyone on this. He just wouldn't send them out together.


	16. Delegate

_A/N: Sorry it is so short, but I had to regroup my thoughts._

_Gibbs decided that the team would have a campfire. Things had begun to spin out of control and Gibbs needed control. He had the team meet him in a conference room._

_He walked in to find the team already waiting, Abby, Ducky, and Jimmy included. Tony was dozed off in a chair, Abby was quietly doodling, Ducky was reading some files, and Jimmy was staring into space. But what interested Gibbs the most was the demeanor of McGee and Ziva. They sat opposite of each other, angry expressions on their faces. Last night they seemed fairly happy._

"_We have a lot to do." Gibbs said, everyone turning their attention to him._

_McGee was sulking like a child, and he knew it. But the event that took place early that morning pissed him off like no other._

"_Gibbs wants us to come in." Ziva said, snapping her cell shut._

"_WHAT!" McGee exclaimed, "We are supposed to be under protection."_

"_We are needed on the case." Ziva said, irritated by McGee's tone, "What is the matter with that?"_

"_People are after us Ziva!" McGee responded incredulously._

"_So," Ziva said, hands perched upon her hips, "let's go solve the case."_

_McGee just stared at her in shocked silence._

"_Why cant you let someone protect you!" he spat out, "Let your damn pride go long enough to see that you're not in this world alone!"_

_It was Ziva's turn to stare in shock. McGee had never, EVER, raised his voice to her like that. _

"_I don't-" _

"_I don't need protection." McGee finished sarcastically, supposedly mimicking her._

_Ziva a was speechless. And mad. McGee was not a mean person, but you could hardly tell._

"_That is the truth!" she yelled back, "I am a highly trained assassin."_

"_You can tell, always stone-faced." McGee said, his voice dangerously low, "You are not a Mossad agent any more David."_

"_And __**you**__ need to stop acting like a mother goose, McGee!" Ziva responded, pointing at him._

_McGee rolled his eyes at her idiom mistake, but she took it as a pass at her. So she shoved him a little._

"_What the hell!"_

"_Just because you are soft," Ziva spat with just as equal venom, "doesn't mean others are. MOST others can stand for themselves."_

_Ziva instantly felt sick about what she had said. That was cruel of her. She knew McGee had worked hard from his probie days to become a strong field agent._

"_I was beginning to think you had finally lost your heart of ice." McGee said in an almost whisper, "But I was wrong."_

_With that he went back down to the basement, leaving Ziva stunned once more._

"McGee!"

McGee jumped out of his thoughts at Gibb's harsh bark.

"You with us!"

"Yeah, Boss," McGee nodded, avoiding the Gibbs stare, "I'm with you."

Gibbs stared at McGee a moment more before continuing.

"We have several leads that need following." Gibbs said, sitting at the end of the long table. "and a few forensics needing to be looked at."

Gibbs tossed pieces of paper around the table.

"Tony, you are going with me to Hair Brained." Gibbs instructed, "Find out what you can about the synthetic hair."

"McGee," Gibbs said, loudly enough to bring McGee back to attention, "you work on getting the court order for the welfare records."

"Gibbs!" Abby piped up, "I have the results from the shooting."

"What does the ballistics say, Abs?"

"The bullets were basic 9mm." Abby said, "But that's it."

Gibbs sighed.

"I need you to examine those receipts Abs." Gibbs said, "And the fingerprints we found on the car."

"Sir, Yes Sir!" Abby said, jumping out of her seat, with a cheeky salute.

Gibbs smiled. He could always count on Abby.

"Ducky," Gibbs directed, "profile Petty Officer Wendell, figure her out."

"Most certainly." Ducky said, taking the file Gibbs was holding out.

"What about me, Gibbs?" Ziva said, looking quite upset that she was yet to get an assignment.

"You are going to look for any more connections between the victims, now that we have another." Gibbs said.

Ziva was less than pleased by the assignment.

"Everybody got what they are supposed to do?"

The team murmured their agreement.

"GO!"

Tony and Gibbs left immediately, Ducky, Abby and Jimmy went to their respective work spaces. That left McGee and Ziva in the bullpen.

They quietly went to work, not even looking at each other.

"Hello."

McGee and Ziva looked up at the owner of the voice.

"What are YOU doing here!"


	17. A Friend In Need

A/N Thank you for the reviews. Sorry for the delay, I can only have so much time on my Dad's computer. Now to add a little hunk of somthin' in the mix. I don't own NCIS. Boo-hoo.

_Previously on __**Chelsea**_

"_What are YOU doing here!"_

McGee and Ziva stared at the person that had just entered the bullpen.

"Damon?" Ziva said, standing and coming around her desk, "What are you doing here?"

Damon Werth just stood there, looking miserable. His hair was a mess and he hadn't shaved, making him look a lot like a Neanderthal.

"What is the matter?" Ziva asked, setting her hand on his arm.

McGee couldn't help but feel a jolt of intense jealousy at Ziva's gesture.

"How can we help you Damon?" McGee asked a bit more harshly than he meant to.

"I-I-" Damon was struggling to talk, so Ziva ushered him into Tony's chair, "my stepsister is Petty Officer Laurie Wendell."

McGee and Ziva looked at each other for the first time that morning.

"Your stepsister?" McGee asked again, raising his eyebrows at Ziva.

"I knew something was wrong!" Damon said angrily, jumping to his feet.

McGee stepped back, remembering the pain Damon's anger had inflicted a couple years ago.

"What do you mean 'wrong' Damon?" Ziva asked, having not flinched.

"Ever since Laurie told me she was pregnant," Damon began, sitting back down, "she acted weird."

"Weird how?" McGee asked, sitting in front of his computer again.

"She avoided all the normal questions." Damon said, turning to face McGee, "She got upset if you asked if it was a boy or a girl. Or if you asked how far along she was."

"Was Corporal Thomas Grey the father?" Ziva asked, leaning on Tony's desk, arms crossed.

"When I asked that," Damon said, facing Ziva, "she stopped speaking to me for weeks."

"She was mad?"

"No," Damon answered, palms up in the air, "she was scared."

"Of what?" McGee asked.

"Hell if I know." Damon snapped.

Ziva crouched down and braced her self on either side of the chair where Damon sat.

"We cannot tell you about the case, but I promise we are working hard to find out who did this." Ziva said in a soft but firm tone.

Damon grabbed her and hugged her and Ziva hugged back in surprise. McGee jumped to his feet, hurt. But Ziva let go before McGee had to vocalize his objections.

"Damon, it will be ok." Ziva said, standing.

"Thanks," Damon said, wiping a stray tear off his face, "tell Gibbs I was here?"

"Yes." McGee said, struggling to remain calm, "He'll want to talk to you."

"Thank you, McGee." Damon said, shaking his hand, "Thank you Ziva."

It didn't escape McGee's notice, or Ziva's for that matter, that Damon deliberately held Ziva's gaze as he shook hands with her. By now McGee was boiling. Sure, it sucked that his sister died, but still.

While he was brooding, Damon had left. Then he realized that he was still mad at Ziva and couldn't yell at her for this latest development. With a sigh, he returned to his phone calls.

Hair Brained was busy store at Braddock Mall, and a large one. Gibbs and Tony dodged bizarre teens and gross old people with purple and teal wigs. They finally reached the check out counter in the center of the store.

"Did you enjoy your time here at Hair Brained?" a teen at the desk said in a bored tone, not even looking up at them.

"Not at all." Gibbs said.

"How can I help you?" she asked, sitting up a little.

"We need to speak to your manager." Gibbs said, showing her his badge.

The girl left to go to the back of the store. Gibbs realized that Tony was quiet. Too quiet. He turn to find that the younger man was not behind him.

"Hey Boss, look!"

Gibbs turned to the voice, and even his stoic persona couldn't help but smile. Somehow, Tony had managed to put on an orange beehive wig that had cupcakes badly glued to it.

"Knock it off DiNozzo." Gibbs barked, but Tony knew he thought it was funny.

"My name is Joe Cuddy, I am the manager of Hair Brained."

Gibbs and Tony turned to see a small man in a bad suit and an ugly hair piece standing in front of them.

"I'm Agent Gibbs, this is DiNozzo." Gibbs introduced, "Do you have a way to compare a single strand of synthetic hair to one of your wigs?"

"Of course," Mr. Cuddy beamed, "I pride myself in having the most unique type of wigs in all of D.C.!"

"That's for sure." Tony said, looking at a vomit-colored Pippy Longstocking wig.

"Uh- well ok," Gibbs said, "thank you Mr. Cuddy."

As they walked away, Gibbs pulled out his phone.

"Hey Abby," Gibbs said when she answered, "in your spare time, I need you to go to Hair Brained and test each wig."

Gibbs grimaced as he held the phone away from his ear.

"I know you're busy Abs," he said soothingly, "when you have time."

Gibbs hung up to find his Senior agent missing again.

"Dammit DiNozzo!"

Meanwhile Ducky was intensely studying Laurie Wendell's file. He had come up with a few observations, but he knew Gibbs would want more. He clicked on his recorder.

"Dr. Donald Mallard speaking. Petty Officer Laurie Wendell is a well-rounded all American girl. She joined the military out of family duty. Her father was a gunnery sergeant and her mother was a lieutenant. She was outgoing. She had high accommodations from both instructors and peers. She had an above average intelligence."

Ducky sighed as he turned off his recorder. No, this would not please Gibbs.

McGee had finally wrangled a warrant out of the law abyss. He sighed a sigh of relief, glad he had something for Gibbs.

"Mommy! Daddy!"

Chelsea hurled her little body into McGee. He saw that she had been crying.

"Chels, hey, hey, Chels." McGee said, picking her up, "What's wrong?"

Ziva had hurried to McGee's side. Cynthia came rushing into the bullpen.

"What happened?" Ziva snapped at her.

It was only then that they saw the blood dripping down Cynthia's face.


	18. What Happened?

A/N: Thank you for all the reviews and I promise there will be more McGiva, I just needed to get the case going. Thanks again. And again, I don't own anything but Chelsea.

_Previously on __**Chelsea**_

"_Mommy! Daddy!"_

_Chelsea hurled her little body into McGee. He saw that she had been crying._

"_Chels, hey, hey, Chels." McGee said, picking her up, "What's wrong?"_

_Ziva had hurried to McGee's side. Cynthia came rushing into the bullpen._

"_What happened?" Ziva snapped at her._

_It was only then that they saw the blood dripping down Cynthia's face._

"What happened?" Ziva asked again as she helped Cynthia to a chair.

McGee brought over a first aid kit he had in his desk, and began wiping the blood of Cynthia's face. She had a deep cut on her temple.

"I went on a walk with Chelsea." Cynthia said, then groaned in pain as McGee attempted to clean the wound.

"You left the building!" Ziva yelled, back to being angry.

"Let's get her down to Ducky." McGee said, "This cut is really deep."

McGee supported Cynthia to the elevator, while Ziva held a sniffling Chelsea.

"Cynthia, my dear, what ever happened to you!" Ducky exclaimed, hurrying to her side, "Come, sit, sit."

"What happened!" Ziva demanded for the third time.

Cynthia groaned in response.

"Let me fix her up and give her some pain medicine." Ducky said, "Then she will be able to answer your questions."

Ducky shooed them away so they went back to the bullpen just as Gibbs and Tony returned.

"Why does it look like Chelsea has been crying!" Tony asked in an accusatory tone.

With a sigh, McGee rehashed the whole fiasco. Gibbs became just as angry as Ziva had. Chelsea held her arms out to Tony.

"Dino." was all she had to say for Tony to melt.

Tony took her from McGee, who was looking kind of ill.

"There's more Boss." McGee said.

"What!" Gibbs asked from his desk, "What else could there be!"

"Damon was here." Ziva said.

"Werth?" Gibbs said, looking surprised, "What has he got to do with anything?"

"Petty Officer Laurie Wendell was his stepsister." McGee answered tiredly.

"Did he give you anything?" Gibbs asked.

"She was frightened," Ziva told him, "and sensitive about the basic facts of her pregnancy."

"Who is the cutest wittle girl in da world!"

Gibbs, McGee, and Ziva stared at Tony, who was tickling Chelsea in his lap.

He suddenly look up.

"What?" he exclaimed, flustered.

The others started to laugh, even Gibbs.

"Gibbs! Gibbs! Gibbs! Giiiiiibbs!"

Abby came thundering into the bullpen from the elevator.

"Did you find something at Hair Brained already?" Gibbs asked.

"Abby!" Chelsea squealed happily, still in Tony's lap.

"Awww. Hi Chelsea." Abby said, distracted.

"Abby." Gibbs warned.

"Oh! Of course." Abby said, coming to stand in front of Gibbs' desk, "I got lucky and found the wig right away. It was a short spike wig."

"Did you-"

"-ask for the security tapes and the dates people bought that specific wig?" Abby said, cutting McGee off, "Right here."

"Did you get the warrant McGee?" Gibbs turned to him.

"Yes boss." McGee said, "It'll be here from legal shortly."

Gibbs glared at him.

"I mean, I will go get it right now." McGee corrected himself, standing up quickly.

"I am going to see Cynthia, you guys stay here." Gibbs said.

"But-" Ziva began.

"Stay."

When Gibbs entered autopsy Jen was already there, rubbing Cynthia's back.

"Are you all right?" he asked Cynthia quietly.

The shaken woman nodded.

"You understand that I need to know what happened?" he asked.

"Yes." she whispered.

"Take your time." Ducky advised from behind Gibbs.

"I was taking a walk with Chelsea in the park when a large rock hit me in the head." Cynthia began.

Gibbs turned to Ducky who nodded.

"Her injuries are consistent with a rock having struck her temple."

Then Cynthia reached in her pocket and pulled out a scrap of paper with smears of blood on it.

Gibbs took it from her out stretched hands. He had put gloves on in case there was any evidence on it. He opened up the folded paper and read it aloud.

'_I am closer than you think.'_

Cynthia began to cry.

"Shhh." Jenny murmured soothingly.

"Thank you Cynthia." Gibbs said, motioning for Ducky to follow him.

Once they had moved farther away, Gibbs turned to Ducky.

"Did you discover anything about Petty Officer Wendell?" Gibbs asked.

Ducky sighed and handed Gibbs the recorder.

"I'm afraid, Jethro, that I was unable to determine much from her files." Duck said, "I recommend speaking to the fiancé."

Gibbs nodded in agreement, his face grim.

"I agree."

Colonel Thomas Grey came to NCIS later that afternoon. He was tall, respectable looking man with red swollen eyes.

"Thank you for coming in Colonel." Gibbs said, "Have a seat."

"Do you know who did this to my fiancé?" he asked immediately.

"We're working on it." Gibbs said, "We need to ask you a few questions about Laurie and her baby."

"Her baby?" Thomas asked, confused.

"First and foremost," Gibbs began, "are you the father?"

"Um- is this important?" Thomas asked, looking uncomfortable.

"Yes." was all Gibbs said.

"Then, no."

"Do you know who is?" Gibbs asked, hopefully.

"No." he answered, shaking his head, "She said it was a part of her life she didn't want to bring to our future marriage. I was going to adopt the baby as my own."

Gibbs gave a frustrated sigh. 'Dammit' he thought.

"What do you know of her past?" he ask the confused looking colonel.

"She is a military brat. She is estranged from her parents. She lived in a rough neighborhood before she moved in with me." Thomas said, as though he rehearsed it daily.

"That sounds awfully rehearsed." Gibbs called him on it.

"Because every time I asked her about her past, that was all I got." Thomas said, obviously irritated.

Gibbs nodded. It was apparent that Thomas had gone tried many times to pry the past out of Laurie Wendell.

"Do you know what rough neighborhood?" Gibbs asked in one last attempt.

Thomas Grey shook his head no.

Gibbs ushered the colonel out and went down to Abby's lab.

Abby was frantically tapping away on her keyboard and acknowledged Gibbs without looking at him.

"Gibbs don't come any closer." she commanded, "I am not ready."

Just then her computer dinged.

"Ooooh! Never mind!"

Abby brought up the results from the finger prints on the note given to Cynthia. But they both gasped a the name that came up.

Damon Werth.


	19. A Long Day

A/N: Thank you for all the reviews. I promise more McGiva/Chelsea fluff to come. Please review. Disclaimer: the usual.

_Previously on __**Chelsea**_

_Abby brought up the results from the finger prints on the note given to Cynthia. But they both gasped a the name that came up._

_Damon Werth._

"It can't be!" Abby yelped, frantically restarting the search, "It just can't be!"

Gibbs rubbed her back in an attempt to calm her down. But the screen came up with the same result.

Damon Werth.

"Oh Gibbs." Abby whimpered.

Upstairs, Chelsea had decided that she wanted food or else.

"Chelsea's hungry." Tony said as if her tantrum wasn't happening.

McGee picked her up and headed to the snack machine. He was tired, both physically and emotionally.

Once he had settled Chelsea with some doughnut holes, McGee collapsed into a plastic chair and sighed loudly.

"Trouble in paradise, my boy?"

McGee jumped and turned to see Ducky standing behind him with a smile.

"Hey Ducky."

Ducky sat down in the chair opposite him, smiling at Chelsea who was snacking away in McGee's lap.

"Hello Chelsea."

"Hewow." came the muffled response.

"I sensed some animosity between you and Ziva." Ducky said, right to the point.

"Yeah," McGee sighed, knowing he couldn't hide anything from Ducky, "we had some - uh - words this morning."

Ducky nodded for him to continue, sipping on his coffee had brought along.

"We said some hurtful things." McGee continued, "I told her she had a heart of ice."

"Ahhh." was all Ducky said, urging him to continue.

"And she said that I was too soft." McGee finished regretfully.

"Did you mean it?" Ducky asked McGee, wiping chocolate off Chelsea's face.

"Of course not!" McGee said in surprise.

"Then why did you say it?" Ducky asked.

"Because she never lets anyone in or lets anyone take care of her!" McGee spat out.

"And you want her to want you to protect her?"

"Yes!" McGee turned red, " I mean no! yes! I don't know."

Ducky chuckled lightly.

"Perhaps you should talk to her about this." Ducky said, "But perhaps at a lower volume."

Ducky stood up and patted McGee's shoulder as he left, but McGee didn't notice. He was too deep in thought.

Ziva was never one to have a heart to heart, even with Abby, who could get Gibbs to talk. McGee slowly came to realize that he had expected Ziva to let her guard down fast and easily. But that was not the person she was.

"McGee."

McGee turned again. This time it was Ziva standing behind him.

"Hi Ziva." he said softly, motioning to the chair Ducky had previously inhabited.

She sat before him quietly. They sat in awkward silence. The only noise was Chelsea's light snoring from McGee's lap.

"I'm sorry." they finally said in unison.

"I was wrong to expect you to be different then you are." McGee offered.

"And I am sorry for saying you were soft." Ziva said softly, "You are a strong agent. I was just angry."

They fell into silence once again, uncertain of where they went from there.

Back down in Abby's lab Gibbs had an idea.

"Abby, calm down."

"Gibbs!" Abby cried, "You don't think Damon did it, do you!"

"Abby, no," Gibbs assured her, grasping both her shoulders "my gut says no. Just listen."

Abby nodded her head so fast, her pigtails were flying into Gibbs' face.

"If I bring you a paper sample, can you compare it to this note?" Gibbs asked.

"You bet I can!"

Gibbs kissed her cheek and hurried upstairs.

"DiNozzo!"

"Yeah Boss!" Tony cried, quickly removing his feet from his desk.

"We need to go to Colonel Thomas Grey's home." Gibbs said, grabbing his gear, "Get the address."

Colonel Grey let Gibbs and Tony in without a fuss.

"What are we even lookin' for Boss?" Tony asked.

"A note pad." Gibbs responded.

"All Laurie's note pads are on her roll-away desk." Colonel Grey said, leading them to the rickety wooden desk.

There was one big problem. Laurie seemed to have collected notepads.

"This is one big paper cut." Tony observed with a laugh.

"Can we take all of these?" Gibbs asked Colonel Grey.

Colonel Grey nodded. Gibbs could see he was grieving heavily.

"We'll find out who did this." Gibbs promised the pale looking Colonel after they had gathered all the note pads.

Once the note pads had been taken to Abby, Gibbs took McGee, Chelsea and Ziva back to his house.

"Fix it." is what he called from the car when he dropped them off.

Both McGee and Ziva knew he was demanding they fix what ever problem they had entered the building with that morning.

Chelsea had fallen asleep in the car, so McGee took her down stairs to her bed. When he came back upstairs, Ziva had already made two coffees and was sitting at the table. She looked exhausted, but so was he. It had been a really long day.

"We need to talk."


	20. The Talk

A/N: Thank you for all the wonderful reviews. Disclaimer: the usual. Now, what you've all been waiting for…

_Previously on __**Chelsea**_

_She looked exhausted, but so was he. It had been a really long day._

"_We need to talk."_

McGee had always hated those words. That was what his mother always said when she wanted to butt into his life. It was what his various girlfriends had said, and when Sarah told him that she thought she might be pregnant. While she wasn't, those words always made him shudder.

"McGee?"

McGee turned his attention back to Ziva.

"Where should we start?" he asked, relaxing in his seat.

"What are we going to do about Chelsea when the case is over?" Ziva asked, "You have never answered me that."

"I am adopting her." McGee responded quickly, as if Chelsea was being taken that instant.

"I wish to adopt her too." Ziva said.

"No offence," McGee said carefully, "but -"

"Despite appearances, I have changed." Ziva exclaimed, standing and pacing, "I left Mossad so I could have a half normal life. I want to go through my life on my own terms, not that of my father. I want to be a better parent than my father. And, dammit, I want to have feelings, McGee, but I am terrified of letting anyone near. I have been hurt McGee, badly. And I am tired of it."

McGee could only stare. But then he made a bold decision.

"And you think that I will hurt you?" McGee asked, following her into the living room.

"Especially you Tim." Ziva whispered, a tear falling down her face, collapsing on the couch."

McGee didn't say a word, but sat down next to Ziva. Then he did something as crazy as kissing her.

He wrapped his arms around her.

Ziva stiffened, then relaxed. She began to sob. McGee held her for the next 45 minutes as she cried and cried. His heart was aching for her. He just knew this was the first time in a long time that she had let go.

Ziva had finally calmed down to sniffling. She was still not speaking, out of embarrassment and comfort in McGee's arms. She brushed her long hair out of her face.

"It's ok." McGee murmured into her hair.

Ziva turned her head to face McGee.

"I think it might be." she whispered with a small smile.

With that, McGee lowered his face and kissed Ziva, slowly and sweetly.

Having returned to NCIS, after sending Tony home and attempting to get Abby to rest, Gibbs sat in his desk in deep thought. The lights were low, giving an eerie glow that just seemed right.

"I know that look."

Gibbs looked up to see Jenny standing in the bullpen, leaning on Tony's desk.

"You have a plan."

"Part of a plan." Gibbs said, rubbing his temples.

"Will it work?" Jenny asked, perched upon his desk.

Gibbs just sighed.

"God, I hope so."

McGee had finally settled an exhausted Ziva downstairs. He returned to the living room just as Gibbs came home.

"Hey Gibbs."

Gibbs nodded at him, but stopped and stared at him.

"McGee…"

McGee cringed. Gibbs had a radar like no other. He waited for the Rule 12 speech.

"Keep it out of work."

McGee's mouth dropped open as Gibbs headed upstairs.

Damn. He was good.

Ziva walked upstairs the next morning when all of the sudden she was swept up in strong arms. Before she reacted Mossad style, she decided to see who was holding her. It was McGee, all smiles.

"Tim, what-"

McGee stopped her with a heart-pounding kiss. Ziva responded eagerly.

"Ahem."

McGee and Ziva jumped apart to see Gibbs standing at the bottom of the stairs.

Ziva could never in her lifetime recall an instance in which a she blushed. She was blushing now.

"Chelsea's awake." Gibbs said grumpily.

McGee and Ziva looked downstairs. Chelsea was sitting up.

"How did you-" McGee began, but Gibbs had disappeared, "How does he do that?"

"Hi Mommy an' Daddy!" Chelsea called.

McGee and Ziva laughed.

"Bath time!" McGee called.

Chelsea's face crumpled.

"No!"

"Yes!" McGee retorted, picking her up.

Chelsea managed to squeeze a few tears out, but not enough to stop the preceding.

Ziva had the bath ready, bubbles and rubber ducky included. Ziva helped McGee undress her.

"No Baff! No Baff!" Chelsea chanted as McGee set her in the tub, "Ooo, bubbles!"

Chelsea hated getting into the tub, but loved bubbles and played with McGee while Ziva washed her. All of the sudden, there was white foam in McGee's hair. At first he thought Chelsea had done it, she was giggling so much. But then he saw the mischief in Ziva's eyes.

Thus began an epic bubble war. In a few minutes, they and Gibbs' guest bathroom were covered in bubbles. Just then Gibbs opened the door, just as McGee threw bubbles in that direction.

"McGee!" Gibbs snapped, wiping the bubbles off his face.

"Sorry boss." McGee apologized frantically, glaring at Ziva who was trying not muffle her laughter.

"We leave in 15 minutes." Gibbs barked, then his face softened, "Good morning Chelsea."

"Mornin' Gibby." Chelsea squealed, throwing bubbles at him.

McGee was certain that would upset Gibbs, but he just laughed.

"But when I-"

A classic Gibbs Glare silenced McGee's protest as he turned to leave the bathroom.

"10 minutes." He called.

Ziva's laughter mad McGee so happy. Soap and all, McGee kissed her hard and fast before running out of the bathroom.

This was the kind of morning Ziva had only dreamed of. And it was wonderful.

After dressing Chelsea in little Levi's and a purple shirt, and drying off, Gibbs drove them to NCIS.

"You guys are in for a BIG assignment." Gibbs said in his 'impending doom' tone.

McGee and Ziva immediately felt knots in their stomach. Now would have been the perfect time for someone to have yelled: "INCOMING!"


	21. Authors Note

A/N: Hey guys, I'm still here, I promise. I am just struggling with some writers block. There will be more soon.


	22. Authors Note 2

_A/N I know it has been a long time, but I WILL finish this story. I am still stuck though, but I am putting a lot of effort into creating a good chapter for you. Thanks for hanging in there._

_Kim_


	23. A Change of Plans

A/N: Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for all of the reviews! I was thrilled to hit 100, so a special shout-out to my 100th reviewer, Watchdog210. Thank you for your patients as well.

_Previously on __**Chelsea**_

"_You guys are in for a BIG assignment." Gibbs said in his 'impending doom' tone._

_McGee and Ziva immediately felt knots in their stomach. Now would have been the perfect time for someone to have yelled: "INCOMING!"_

McGee settled Chelsea in Jenny's office, then headed down to the bullpen where Gibbs was going to explain the mission.

But when he got down there, Gibbs was grumbling angrily at his desk.

'What happened?' he mouthed to Tony, who was quiet.

Tony just shook his head, is eyes wide with warning.

McGee smiled at Ziva who shyly smiled back. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Tony pretending to gag. Ziva must have told him about her and himself.

"Tony, Ziva bring in Damon Werth." Gibbs said, looking very conflicted.

Neither Tony or Ziva moved. "Boss, I know he's had some trouble in the past, but-"

"DiNozzo, it wasn't a suggestion." Gibbs said tiredly.

Tony and Ziva quietly gathered their belongings. They hesitated at the elevator as if Gibbs would call them back and say it was a joke.

But Gibbs didn't joke.

"Gibbs…" McGee was at a loss, "why?"

"The footage from the wig store shows Werth buying the wig we matched with the synthetic hair."

"No way Boss!" McGee exclaimed.

"Look into his financials McGee." Gibbs said, not looking at McGee.

"But-"

"Do it McGee!" Gibbs yelled, slamming his fist onto his desk.

McGee jumped and began typing. He felt so bad invading a friend's life.

"Knock on his door." Ziva said as they reached the front of Damon's house.

"You knock on the door." Tony said, shaking his head.

"How about rock, paper, scissors?" Ziva offered.

"How about I just answer the door."

Tony and Ziva both jumped when the door opened. They froze.

"Can I help you?" Damon asked, "Did you find something out about my stepsister?

"You gotta come with us Damon." Tony said, not holding eye contact.

"I'm sorry." Ziva added.

Damon looked completely confused. "What? Why?"

"Gibbs wants to talk to you." Tony said, lightly grasping Damon's arm.

Damon didn't fight like Ziva thought he would, but she could see that he was hurt, feeling betrayed. She felt horrible. All part of the new thing she was trying out: emotions.

Gibbs knew his agents were mad. Abby was inconsolable, rejecting the Calf-POW's he tried to bring her. They thought that he had decided that Damon had done it. But he hadn't. But he had to get some answers, and he could probably find some in Damon's statement. He walked into interrogations.

"Déjà vu, right Gibbs?" Damon's face was somber.

Gibbs didn't answer as he sat down in front of him.

"What the hell is going on Gibbs?" Damon cried.

"I need some honest answers Werth." Gibbs responded.

"Anything, you know that." Damon assured Gibbs.

Gibbs laid out three black and white photos and the evidence bag with the strand of hair in front of Damon.

"Why were you buying a wig at Hair Brained?" Gibbs asked.

"A wig?" Damon stammered.

Gibbs pointed to the video camera photos. "What have you gotten into Werth?"

Damon was silent for a moment, it seemed like he was going to stonewall Gibbs. "I am part of a recovery team. Sometimes I need a disguise."

"A recovery team?" Gibbs said, raising his eyebrows.

"Me and a couple of guys created a team that recovers things."

"Like?" Gibbs prodded.

"Well, for example, we recovered a car from a lady's ex-husband. He had stolen it from her." Damon explained.

"What did you use the wig for?" Gibbs asked.

"I had to recover a ring from a drug pusher." Damon continued, "I didn't want him to remember me."

Gibbs nodded and wrote notes on his paper.

"What does my recovery methods have to do with anything?" Damon asked, becoming confused and defensive.

Gibbs looked him in the eye. "This strand is from that wig. We found it on one of our dead women."

Damon paled. "Gibbs! I didn't-" Gibbs put up his hand.

"Who else had access to the wig?" Gibbs asked.

"It's in our office, so my partners." Damon said, upset.

"You know I need names Werth."

"Kyle Rush, Harvey Norris, and Wendy Kershall." Damon rattled off, not hesitating a moment.

Gibbs turned to the two-way.

Behind the glass stood Tony, Ziva, and McGee.

"I've got Rush." Tony said, heading out.

"I've got Norris." McGee said, following.

"That leaves me with Kershall." Ziva said, taking one last look at Damon before leaving.

"Am I under arrest?" Damon asked, his voice strained.

"No, you're free to go." Gibbs said, standing and motioning Damon to do the same.

They entered the hall in silence when Damon move in front of Gibbs' path.

"Do you really think I would do this Gibbs?" Damon asked in a low voice, really hurt. Gibbs had always been good to him whenever he messed up or needed help.

"No." Gibbs said, still stone faced.

Damon smiled. That's all that he needed.

In the bull pen, the team was quietly researching their assigned subjects.

"Hey guys."

They looked up to see Damon.

"Where's Gibbs?" Tony asked.

"He's gone to see Abby." Damon answered, "What's wrong with you guys?"

"We hated taking you in like that." Ziva said, walking over to him, "We felt-"

"Guilty." McGee offered, also standing.

"Yeah," Tony said, "we like you even if you broke my nose and gave Ziva a-"

"Tony!" Ziva interrupted sharply.

"I get it." Damon said with a chuckle.

"I will walk you down." Ziva said.

"Alright." Damon said, then waved, "See ya Tony, McGee."

Once Ziva and Damon got into the elevator, Damon turned to her, sly smile growing on his face.

"Ziva, thanks for having so much faith in me." he said, putting his hand on her arm.

"I know what it feels like to have a past and have doubt put upon you." Ziva said, smiling back at him.

Then she realized how close he had gotten. She looked up to see him lean in to kiss her. She jumped back.

"Damon!"

He opened his eyes, confused once again. He gave her a hurt look.

"I like you Damon," Ziva said, "But I-I'm in a relationship."

"You are?" he exclaimed.

"You think I can't in a relationship?" Ziva retorted, having confused his response.

Damon laughed. "Of course not, but the other day you seemed unattached."

Ziva looked away, with a embarrassed smile.

"Who's the lucky guy?" he teased.

She gave him a coy smile as they stepped out of the elevator.

"Timothy McGee."

Damon stopped short in his tracks, grabbed her and turned her in front of him. "Are you serious!"

"I like him!" Ziva said, defenses up.

"Hey, I do to." Damon raised his hands in mock surrender, "I'm just surprised."

"Me too." she said, waving goodbye.

When Ziva got upstairs she saw McGee sitting there nervously. She smiled. He was so insecure. It was kind of cute. So she decided she would reassure him. Tony was gone and so was Gibbs.

"Oh Hey Zee!" McGee said, looking relieved.

Ziva sashayed over to him. He gulped. She leaned down to whisper in his ear.

"YOU are the only one I want to kiss. The only one who makes me feel like a priceless treasure."

McGee turned red, but surprised her by whispering back.

"I am sorry I was jealous. But Damon's so- tough. I get worried you'll find someone better than the nerd I am. But I love you."

"Aw Man! Gross!"

Ziva and McGee jumped apart.

"Keep it in the bedroom, Geez!" Tony said, rubbing his eyes, "My eyes are burned."

Ziva rolled her eyes. She gently slapped Tony on her way back to her desk.

"Seriously." Tony said, sitting down.

McGee was still red.

"I thought I said keep it out of work." Gibbs said, entering the bullpen.

"Why didn't we have a big mission?" Ziva asked trying to move the spotlight off her and McGee.

"Damon's part in all of this messed it up." Gibbs answered, "Did you find anything out on Damon's partners?"

"I did." Tony said, jumping up with the plasma clicker, "Kyle Rush has ties to gangs, has a rap sheet a mile long, and two ex-wives."

Gibbs sighed. Things had become a mess. EVEN more of a mess.


	24. A Day For The Dogs

A/N: Ok, I know it gets a little sappy in here, but I couldn't help my self. Please review. I love them. I get all warm and fuzzy. Disclaimer-the usual.

McGee was waiting down stairs for Ziva and Chelsea. They were going for a walk within the naval base. The elevator doors open and Chelsea came flying out.

"Daddy!" she squealed as McGee caught her and swung her into the air.

McGee glanced at Ziva. He was happy to see that she was smiling. He adjusted Chelsea onto his hip, then offered his free hand to her.

Her eyes sparkled with humor as she took his hand. "Such a gentleman."

"Would you rather I wasn't?"

Ziva audibly gasped. He was really flirting. She could too. "I would not have you any other way."

"Mama! Mama!" Chelsea chanted, pointing a patrolling guard and his dog, "Dog, Mama! Dog, Daddy!"

"Very good Chels." McGee said, giving her a sloppy kiss on the cheek, which she promptly wiped away.

"Hey!" McGee pouted. Chelsea just giggled.

Ziva kissed McGee on the cheek. "Is that better?"

"Much."

Ziva shivered. His green eyes held intense desire.

But his eyes quickly changed to concern. "Are you cold?"

Ziva shook her head, but found that she couldn't speak.

"Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog." Chelsea chanted repeatedly despite the fact that the dog was long gone."

McGee sighed. He had put Jethro in a dog hotel when he moved into Ziva's house.

"Maybe Gibbs will let me bring Jethro to his house." he mused.

"Jetro?" Chelsea asked, her interest peaked, "Dog?"

"Yes Chelsea, Jetro-I mean Jethro is a dog."

Chelsea threw her tiny hands up into the air and continued her chant. "Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog…"

"I think she likes dogs." Ziva said, squeezing McGee's hand.

McGee laughed out loud. It wasn't often that Ziva made jokes, so that made it even more hilarious.

"Down." Chelsea demanded, kicking her feet when they got to a grassy lunch area.

McGee set her down. "Stay right here."

Ziva and McGee sat on a bench and quietly watched Chelsea run around.

"I have a daughter." McGee whispered.

Ziva took his hand and leaned into him, laying her head on his shoulder.

"We have a daughter." she whispered back.

McGee turned, took her face in his hands and soundly kissed her, leaving her breathless.

"Boss?"

"What DiNozzo?"

"Don't you think it's weird?"

"What DiNozzo."

"You know…"

"No DiNozzo, I don't."

"Well… McGee and Ziva."

Gibbs didn't respond.

"Boss?"

"DiNozzo." Gibbs responded with a warning undertone.

"Fine." Tony said as if he was told he couldn't have any candy at the store checkout line.

Gibbs rolled his eyes. Tony would be the death of him. Then his phone rang. His stomach plummeted, not wanting another body on his hands.

"Gibbs."

A raspy voice was heard, but he couldn't make out what was being said.

"Hello? Who's there?"

"Gi-Gibs it's D-Damon."

"Werth! Where are you?"

"I-I-I don't know."

Gibbs looked up to see McGee walk in. He motioned for McGee to trace the call.

"What happened?" Gibbs asked calmly.

"The wig." Damon rasped out.

Gibbs punched the speaker phone button.

"What do you mean, the wig?"

There was no answer.

Gibbs looked up desperately at McGee.

"I got him boss. He is 20 miles North of here. I sent the coordinates to my GPS."

They all frantically bolted for elevator.

"Here Boss! Here!" McGee yelled from the backseat.

Gibbs swung into a rock paved vacant lot. There was a single vehicle there, an old Camry, no plates.

They jumped out of the car, guns drawn just in case. They soon re-holstered their weapons.

"Pop the trunk Ziva!" Gibbs snapped.

The truck opened to an unconscious and bent up Damon Werth. Gibbs felt for a pulse.

"He's alive." Gibbs said, helping Tony and McGee maneuver Damon out of the trunk, "Ziver, call Ducky."

Damon came to on one of Ducky's autopsy tables. And that scared the crap out of him.

"Holy Shit! I'm dead!"

"I can assure you that you are quite alive."

Damon turned his head to see Ducky, then groaned at the pain the motion had caused.

"Ah yes, you best move slowly Damon," Ducky advised, "for you were bent like an accordion my boy."

Damon attempted to move and groaned. "Ok, you're right."

"I'm always right."

Damon let out a horse laugh, then groaned again.

"Good, you're awake"

Gibbs came rushing through the doors, Tony at his heels. Damon once again moved and succeeded to sit up.

"What happened?" Gibbs demanded.

"You have horrible bedside manner Gibbs." Damon said with a grin, Tony was nodding in agreement.

Gibbs stared at Damon, his eyes narrowed. Damon sighed.

"I went back to our recovery offices to talk to the others, to see if they had maybe barrowed my wig." Damon explained, gladly taking an ice pack from Ducky, "Harvey and Wendy said they hadn't."

"And when you asked Kyle?" Gibbs prodded.

Damon winced and rubbed the huge bump on the back of his head. "Everything went black."

"Did you see what he hit you with?" Tony asked.

"That's the thing." Damon sighed, "Kyle was in front of me. Someone else hit me."

"Was there a customer there? Or Harvey or Wendy?" Gibbs continued.

"Harvey and Wendy left on an out of state recovery mission at leas four hours be for."

Gibbs looked at Ducky.

"It was a blunt object that hit Damon of undeterminable shape and size." Ducky reported.

"Dammit." Gibbs cursed.

"At least we got one name boss." Tony said.

Gibbs groaned inwardly. They needed more than a name. They needed answers.

"Tomorrow we go to your recovery office." Gibbs decided.

Tony nodded and headed upstairs to tell the others.

"You'll stay in my guest bedroom tonight." Gibbs said, turning to leave.

Damon opened his mouth to object, when, without even turning around Gibbs said: "It wasn't a suggestion."

Gibbs groaned when he got into the elevator. If this case wasn't wrapped up soon, he'd have to open a boarding house with a continental breakfast and free internet.


	25. Memories

A/N: I know Gibbs is a little OOC, but I think it was justified. Please review. I love them and appreciate them. Disclaimer: the usual.

Gibbs woke up around three a.m. and debated rolling over and going back to sleep. But he figured it would be the only time the house was quiet. Not that he completely hated having a full house.

"Dammit! I can't believe I thought that!" he cursed quietly.

He went down stairs and made a cup a coffee and wandered over to his couch. He sat down with a big sigh and took a sip. He closed his eyes to relax.

"Gibby"

Gibbs looked up to see Chelsea standing right in front of him, rubbing her eyes sleepily. Gibbs heart contracted. She looked just like Kelly in her little purple footie pajamas.

"Hey there pretty lady." he whispered, pulling her into his lap, "What are you doing up?"

"Mommy making noise." Chelsea said, putting her hands over her ears and making a face.

Gibbs chuckled, pulling the sleepy girl closer. He had heard of Ziva's snoring problem. He saw that Chelsea was nodding off.

"Goodnight sweetie."

"Wuv you Gibby." she murmured, snuggling in his arms.

Gibbs allowed a single tear to fall from his eye. God he missed Kelly.

Ziva had a minor panic attack when she saw that Chelsea wasn't in her bed.

"Tim!" she hissed, hitting him on the shoulder.

"Wha-What!" McGee bolted upright.

"Where is Chelsea?"

McGee laid back down, closed his eyes and rolled onto his side. He was exhausted. "Who?"

Ziva punched his side.

"Owww! I'm up!" McGee held his side, "Dang woman, she's probably upstairs."

She crossed her arms and glared at him. Out of fear of death, McGee got out of bed, albeit painfully.

"I heard shouting. What's wrong?" They looked up to see an amused Damon at the top of the stairs.

Ziva was finding no humor in the situation. "Where's Chelsea?"

"She's upstairs with Gibbs." Damon said with a cocky grin, "They are playing with some old dolls of Kelly's."

McGee and Ziva sprinted up the stairs. This they had to see. They peeked into the living room. Chelsea and Gibbs were sitting on the floor.

"Gibby!" Chelsea squealed, holding up a nice, but worn doll, "She pretty."

Gibbs laughed.

"Does he know we're up?" McGee whispered to Damon.

Damon shook his head and bit his lip to avoid laughing out loud.

Ziva was speechless.

"Nobody tell Tony." McGee muttered.

"Nobody tell Tony what?"

All three jumped when Gibbs turned to look at them.

"He knew we were here the whole time." Damon said in awe.

"We shoulda known." McGee said, shaking his head, "He's Gibbs."

"Uh- time to get dressed Chelsea." Ziva said, avoiding Gibbs' eyes as she picked up a pouting Chelsea.

"My doll." she said unhappily.

Everyone scattered to get ready. Gibbs groaned. He really hoped nobody would tell Tony.

Tony was starting to feel left out as he watched the parade coming out of the elevator. Gibbs, coffee slash swill in hand. Ziva, holding Chelsea, standing as close as protocol allowed to McGee. Lastly, Damon, looking quite content.

Tony was seriously considering making up an excuse in order to move in with Gibbs too. But then he remembered that he would have to bunk with Damon. And there was only one bed.

Maybe he could have the couch.

"TONY!"

He was jolted out of his thoughts by an angry Ziva.

"What!" he exclaimed at a slightly lower decibel.

"Did you get anything on Kyle Rush's bank records?" she asked, hands on her hips.

"What crawled up-" he stopped when she brought out her knife.

"I had a weird morning DiNozzo. Don't push it."

He wasn't gonna push it.

"He hasn't use his credit or debit card since the attack." Tony told the waiting team.

"How about his cell McGee?" Gibbs asked.

"Turned off after the attack as well." McGee reported.

"Let's go." Gibb barked, standing.

"Where?" Tony asked, mimicking his actions.

"The recovery office." Gibbs said, leading the pack.

Harvey and Wendy were still out of state so the office was untouched.

"Ok Damon, where were you standing?" Gibbs said.

Damon moved to the middle of the front room. "Right here."

"Were you facing the front doors?"

"Yeah," Damon nodded, "Kyle had just come through the door. I was waiting for him."

"Waiting?" Tony asked.

"Yeah, I called him and said I needed to talk to him."

"Is there a back door?" Ziva asked.

"Yeah, we-" Damon groaned, "Shit. He knew I was gonna confront him and brought help. God, I'm stupid."

"He tricked you." McGee tried to comfort him, "It's not your fault."

Damon whirled around angrily. "I was a frickin' marine. I should of seen this."

"Check the back door DiNozzo." Gibbs said.

"On it boss."

"Did you know anything about Kyle's past?" McGee asked.

"He just said he came from a rotten childhood. He wouldn't elaborate." Damon shrugged.

"I'll dig." McGee said, tapping away on his PDA.

"I will take pictures." Ziva said following McGee out of the room.

Gibb put his hand on Damon's shoulder. "It happens Damon."

Damon looked at him and snorted. "Not to you."

Gibbs let out a horse laugh. It was amazing how many people saw him as infallible.

"Especially me."


	26. A Little Red Farrari

A/N: Thank you for all the reviews. I gotta little team banter and little more Gibbs and Chelsea with a dab of case. Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS, blah, blah, blah.

"Kyle Rush was born in D.C. boss," McGee relayed from his PDA, "in the Borter area."

The Borter area was one of the worst places to live in Washington D.C. and it bred a population of criminals.

"He was the youngest of four raised by a single mother." McGee continued, "He juvie record is a mile long."

"What were they for?" Gibbs asked, moving around the recovery office.

"Petty theft, assault, assault with a deadly weapon, and drug posession." McGee rattled off, "All under the age of 18 and he was never tried as an adult."

"I had-" Damon opened and shut his mouth a few times, "I did a background check. Were the records expunged?"

McGee shook his head. "These were to serious to be hidden away.'"

Damon rubbed his hands over his face. This was surreal.

"Do you have his records on file somewhere?" Tony asked.

Damon nodded and headed over to his locked filing cabinet, unlocked it and extracted a file folder from it. He handed it to Tony.

"I did a background check for all three of them." Damon said, "I wouldn't have hired anyone with a thick criminal background. His came up with only minor traffic violations."

Tony skimmed the file. "Boss, I think he used someone else's background."

"How could that be?" Ziva asked.

"There are probably other Kyle Rush's out there." McGee said warily.

"We'll have to see if any Kyle Rush's died and had the same birth date as our Kyle." Gibbs said.

Damon nodded with a sigh and follow the team to their cars. Then he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. There was a paper taped to a window further down from the doorway, flapping in the light wind. He went over to the window and read the paper. He let out a strangled noise.

"Gibbs!"

His tone of voice brought the whole team running. He pointed at the paper. McGee used his still gloved hand to hold the paper still.

" 'Your sister was great Werth. And Chelsea is still going to be mine. She was payment, and I will collect.'" Tony read aloud.

Ziva turned to see Damon go white. Gibbs had noticed too and helped her steady him.

"Bag it and tag it McGee." Gibbs said.

"Yeah Boss."

Gibbs began leading Damon to the car. "Let's take what we have to office."

It was a quiet ride back.

They all thundered down to Abby's lab. The walls were pounding, resonating from the volume of her music. Chelsea was happily clapping and squealing at the unusual music. McGee was not so amused.

"ABBY!" he yelled, scooping Chelsea into his arms.

Abby clicked off her music. "Oh hey guys! Damon!"

Damon shifted uncomfortably in her death grip. "Hey Abby."

She pulled away from him slowly. "You're sad. Why are you sad? Is it because of the case? Or is it because you like Ziva and she's taken? Or maybe-"

"ABBY!" McGee tried again.

"WHAT!" she yelled back.

"This music was way to loud. You could damaged Chelsea's ears."

"What was playing Abs?" Tony asked.

"Oh, it's new!" Abby happily answered, "Their called Death Stench."

"That is quite unpleasant." Ziva countered, "And Damon isn't-"

"Abby" McGee whined, cutting Ziva off, "I'm still -"

"Do not interrupt me!"

"ENOUGH!"

The lab fell silent as Gibbs stood there glaring holes right through them.

"If I'd wanted to work with clowns, I woulda joined the circus." he said in his menacing tone.

"But not me, right Gibbs?" Abby said sweetly, tugging one of her braids innocently.

She stood up straighter when he gave her a 'don't push it' look.

"Need you to see if you can get prints off this note." Gibbs said, handing her the piece of paper.

"Of course I-" she gasped after reading it, "Oh no! Gibbs."

Gibbs motioned for everyone else to head upstairs. And it his simple, quiet way, he comforted her.

Once upstairs, Tony, Ziva, and McGee headed straight for their computers, leaving Chelsea to wander the bullpen. Her fascination was Tony's toy Ferrari that sat on his desk and he begrudgingly allowed her to play with it.

"I can buy you a new one." McGee teased.

"Shut up McDaddy." Tony hissed, "Have you found a Kyle yet?"

McGee shook his head. "How 'bout you Zee-va?"

Rolling her eyes, she nodded. "I found two born on the same day, same time, both dead."

"Now we find out their records." McGee said.

Ziva gave him the information and he started clacking away.

"Got it!" he exclaimed.

"So what now?" Tony said, "All we know is that Rush made up his background."

"Well, where would he have obtained records this in-depth?" Ziva mused aloud.

"Well, maybe- Chelsea! Don't scratch the car!" Tony screeched.

Chelsea just giggled. "Silly Dino!"

"I'm not silly." Tony pouted.

"Silly!" she giggled some more, running the toy car on top of her head in her blond curls.

"No, I am n-"

"DiNozzo, If I ever see you argue with a three year old again, you're fired." came the booming voice of their boss.

"Y-Yes boss." Tony said, realizing that he was, in fact, arguing with a toddler.

Ziva and McGee were struggling not to laugh.

"Maybe he has friends at the state records office." Tony offered, finishing his previous thought.

"Well take Ziva and go find out." Gibbs barked, "McGee, keep watch on Rush's cell and financial accounts. Chelsea, you're with me."

The team froze at Gibbs' last sentence.

"Go!"

Once the team was gone, Gibbs picked Chelsea up and headed down to Ducky.

"Ah Jethro, Chelsea!" Ducky crooned when the pressurized doors whooshed open, "To what do I owe the pleasure."

"Hey Duck." Gibbs said, smiling as Chelsea made car noises, running the toy up and down Gibb's chest.

Gibbs recounted the new information in the case to Ducky, wanting his psychological advise.

"This man thinks he has out smarted you." Ducky said thoughtfully, "He honestly thinks he is invincible and unfortunately, that will be his downfall. To the everyday world, he would seem normal, but he has manic tendencies. He may have medication, but is probably only taking them sporadically, which makes the medication a moot point. He is dangerous then, without remorse."

"Can he plan things?" Gibbs asked.

"Oh yes, while he is manic, he is a brilliant man and even his worst episodes, his mind is lucid enough to plot schemes. That is when he is most dangerous."

"Our shots at catching this Bastard?" Gibbs implored.

Ducky smiled. "You always get your man, Jethro."

Gibbs gave him look, shifting Chelsea in his arms.

"You'll need to figure out his next step. Then get there before he does."

Gibbs nodded, waved goodbye and stepped into the elevator.

"We're gonna get him baby girl," Gibbs whispered, "I promise."

He kissed Chelsea's head and set her down. He laughed when the little car starting driving up his leg. He tried to frown.

"Gibby!" Chelsea squealed, taking his hand.

Forget it. At this moment in time, he couldn't frown for all the money in the world.

A/N: up next, Tony and Ziva at the state records office, and yes, I know D.C. is not a state, I'm just not sure what else to say.


	27. Sorrow

A/N: I know it is short, but I had to give you something. I promise more will come, I just had to gather my thoughts. Please review.

The Public Records Office was busy, much to Tony and Ziva's irritation.

"YO!" Tony shouted, holding his badge up in the air, "Federal Officers! Move!"

They weaved their way to the main desk through the measly path the people had allowed them.

The elderly spinster behind the desk looked pissed. "Must you cause such a hold up?"

Tony flashed his badge, then held out a picture of Kyle Rush. "You know him?"

The lady glared at him hard. He felt like he was back in the third grade with the librarian shushing him.

"Um, what my partner is trying, and failing to say politely," Ziva glared at Tony, "is that we would like to know if you have seen this man."

The woman pushed her large glasses up on her nose and squinted a the photo.

"Yes." she nodded, "that's Ryan, the brother of one of my coworkers."

Tony and Ziva looked at each other in surprise. "Could you, uh, get 'Ryan's' sibling for us?"

The old lady gave Tony a strange look, and picked up the phone. After a brief conversation, she hung up and turned back to Tony and Ziva.

"She'll be right out. Now could you please stop holding up traffic."

"Traffic?" Ziva repeated, confused.

Tony rolled his eyes, and grabbed her elbow, guiding her out of the way. "Come on, you linguistic mess."

"Are you the ones wanting to talk to me?"

Tony and Ziva turned to see a mousy, petite woman standing be hind them.

"Hi, I'm Paula Holmes."

"Agents DiNozzo, David." they showed their badge.

"What can I do for you?" she asked.

"We need to talk to you about this man." Ziva said, showing her the picture.

Paula's eye's widened. Then she bolted, pushing her way through the crowd.

"Shit!" Tony cursed, charging after her, "She's fast."

The chase took them out onto the street. Paula crossed the street blindly, narrowly escaping death several times. Tony and Ziva fallowed, the stalled cars to their advantage.

"Tony!" Ziva yelled, pointing to the ally Paula was turning into.

Tony motioned that he would go around the small building, so Ziva followed Paula directly.

"Freeze Paula!" she shouted, pulling her gun out.

Paula didn't stop running. Until she collided with Tony. They both fell down, but Tony was able to hold her down, his size to his advantage. Ziva holstered her gun and pulled out her cuffs and cuffed her.

"You ok Tony?" Ziva asked with a smirk, noting how winded he was.

Tony glared at her as he pulled Paula to her feet. "You gonna call Gibbs?"

Gibbs was letting Paula Holmes stew in interrogation. She was terrified, which was going to work for his advantage. He was pretty sure he could get some answers out of her. He could tell he was right when she jumped a mile as he opened the door.

"Why- Why am I just sitting here?" Paula all but whimpered.

"I think you know why." Gibbs said quietly as he sat down in front of her.

"I-I- think I'm supposed to get a lawyer." she crossed her arms in a weak attempt to seem unfazed.

"You are not under arrest." Gibbs said simply.

"So, I can leave anytime I want?" she asked, pointing at the door.

Gibbs nodded. "But you wont."

She opened her mouth to respond, but couldn't when she saw the photos of the dead women Gibbs was laying before her.

Gibbs folded his hands in front of him. "Your brother had a part in this."

Paula's eyes glazed over. "He's not my brother." she whispered.

"We know." Gibbs said, "But why did you say he was?"

By now Paula had begun to cry. "I cant tell you."

"Why not?" Gibbs asked.

"He'll hurt Grace." Paula whispered.

"Who is Grace, Paula?" Gibbs asked patiently, having determined that she was a victim in all of this.

"My daughter." Paula sobbed, "He said he knew someone who would take her away and sell her."

Gibbs closed his eyes and sighed, leaning back in the chair. Then he handed her a piece of paper and pen. "I need you to write everything down. I'll be back in a little bit. Can you do that?"

Paula nodded, accepting the pen with trembling hands.

Gibbs left interrogation and joined the team in observation.

"Tony, arrange protection for her. She is our only alive victim."

Tony nodded grimly and left.

"Do you think Kyle Rush is The Gifter, Gibbs?" McGee asked.

Gibbs shook his head. "I think he's a sidekick. But he is crucial to us."

McGee and Ziva nodded as Gibbs stomped out of observation.

"I hope we can wrap this up soon." McGee said, "I used to think Gibbs was infallible. But I'm not so sure anymore."

Ziva took his hands and made him look at her. "We are not who we seem."

McGee laughed, then hugged her. "How Yoda-ish of you."

He only laughed harder when he saw her confused look.

A/N Just a little Gibbs angst. More Chelsea coming.


	28. Purple is Pretty

A/N Ok here is more McGee/Ziva/Chelsea. More Case soon. Disclaimer: the usual. Tony/Abby teamwork up next.

McGee and Ziva took Chelsea back to Gibbs' house around seven. They were trying to keep her on a sort-of routine.

"Eat!" Chelsea demanded as soon as they stepped through the door.

"I will feed her." Ziva said, setting her on the ground.

"I'll look around."

McGee was under orders to lock every door and window in the house. After his rounds, he found Ziva and Chelsea at the table eating hot dogs.

"Yours are in the microwave." Ziva said through a full

mouth.

McGee smiled, grabbed his food, and sat down across from them.

"Purple." Chelsea said, "Purple pretty."

"What's purple Chelsea?" McGee asked her with a smile.

Chelsea just giggled, then promptly smeared ketchup on her face.

"Chelsea!" Ziva scolded.

"I think you mean red, sweetie." McGee chuckled, leaning across the table with a napkin.

"Red?" Chelsea's face screwed up in confusion.

McGee pointed to her ketchup. "Red."

Chelsea stared at the ketchup for a few moments. Then she squealed, stuck her hands in the ketchup and clapped frantically. "RED!"

McGee roared with laughter as red spatter landed all over Ziva.

"Timothy McGee."

McGee froze at the tone of Ziva's voice.

"Clean her up." Ziva stood up, "I'll be back."

"Oooh. Look what you did." McGee softly scolded, picking her up, "Now mommy's mad."

Chelsea looked at him with big innocent blue eyes. "Mommy mad?"

McGee wiped Chelsea off, much to her distaste. "No!"

"I think that is one of your favorite words." McGee chuckled, attempting to clean Chelsea's tightly curled hands.

He pried them open when Chelsea yawned. "You're sleepy."

Again, Chelsea shook her head wildly and hollered "NO!"

"I will get her ready for bed." Ziva said, returning with a new shirt on, "But she will insist that you read her a story."

That was Chelsea's newest thing. Someone had to read her a story or else. Her favorite book right then was The Foot Book by Dr. Seuss. So after Chelsea had been put into her pink footie pajamas, McGee settled down right next to her cot.

"Wead." Chelsea demanded, but a look from Ziva changed her tone, "Wead Pweeze?"

McGee laughed and began reading. It was his favorite part of the day.

Once Chelsea had fallen asleep, McGee and Ziva went upstairs to the living room. They curled up together and flipped on the TV. But as Ziva lay her head on McGee's chest, she could tell something was bothering him. He was tense. She glanced up at him.

"Tim." she said softly, bringing up her hand to caress his cheek, "What is the matter?"

McGee just hugged her closer and sighed. "It's this case Zee. Do you see how this is affecting Gibbs? I have never been worried about him more than I am right now."

Ziva cuddled into him. "We have to trust him like we always do Tim. He is our boss for a reason."

McGee numbly nodded his head, then looked down into her eyes. "Do you trust me Ziva?"

The intensity that pooled in his green eyes made her shiver. She felt warm all over as if she was standing in the deserts of her home land.

"I trust you Tim." Ziva whispered, reaching up, "With all my heart."

He kissed her then, her whole world tilting. If they were attacked at that moment, Ziva wouldn't have been able to move. And she only had one thought.

When they came up for air, Ziva took his face in her hands. She was about to say something that she guarded very deeply.

"I love you Timothy McGee."

"I love you more, Ziva David."

"I wuv you Mommy n' Daddy!"

Ziva and McGee jumped apart to find Chelsea out of bed. Another new thing was her fascination with stairs.

"Chelsea!" they groaned at the same time.

Thinking that was an invitation, Chelsea launched herself onto the couch. McGee caught her in his arms and pulled her close between them.

"We love you too Chelsea." Ziva said with a sleepy smile.

That's how Damon and Gibbs found them a few hours later.

"They're pretty neat together aren't they Gibbs." Damon whispered.

Gibbs only returned a smile.

Meanwhile, Tony hadn't left the office yet. He hated what the case had been doing to Gibbs, so he wanted to work harder, to see if he could find anything.

"Tony! Why are you still doing here?"

Tony looked up with stiff eyes to see Abby standing in front of his desk, hands on hips.

"Oh, Hey Abs." Tony said, clearing his dry throat, "I'm just-"

"Worried about Gibbs." Abby finished.

"No! Well, maybe. Ok yes." Tony worked through his feelings.

"Me too." Abby said, chewing on her lip, "Come on!"

"Where are we going?" Tony asked, grabbing up his files.

"We are gonna brainstorm in my lab." Abby told him when they had gotten into the elevator, "We're gonna solve this case if it kills us.


	29. Midnight Companions

A/N- Sorry for the LOOOOONG wait. Life happened. This should tide you until I can write again. Thank you for reading and reviewing.

LINE BREAK

Abby set her music to a dull roar once she and Tony reached her lab. There were boxes of evidence all over her tables an floors.

"How'd you get all this down here?" Tony asked in amazement.

"I promised to show some of those garage techs my new tattoo if they helped me." Abby said with a smile, pushing an extra swirly chair into the front of her lab.

"The one on your ankle?" Tony asked, eyebrows raised.

"OK," Abby responded sheepishly, "They were disappointed."

"Vixen." Tony chuckled, "So how are we gonna do this?"

Abby patted the chair next to her. "We are going to study each of the victims and see if we can find any connections to Kyle Rush."

Methodically they laid down the victims pictures in the order of their deaths. Petty Officer Nancy Green. Lt. Cheyenne Cabot, Col. Bethany Holton, Petty Officer Hannah Jones, Petty Officer Angela Gaits, Lt. Josie Brenner, and Petty Officer Laurie Wendell. At the top of the row, Tony set down a picture of Kyle Rush.

The two sat for a moment in silence.

"You take the paper trail." Abby suddenly said, "I'll work with my babies."

Tony picked up the first victim's file and evidence box. He skimmed through the file from over two years ago.

_Petty Officer Nancy Green_._ Age 26. Blonde hair. Blue eyes. Found in her residence by neighbor, stabbed with a sharp object through the stomach region. Responding officer informed by neighbor that the Petty Officer was five months pregnant. The home appeared in-tact despite the violence of the crime. Crime scene investigators found no prints but the victims and the neighbor's. The Petty Officer was said to have not been in a relationship. There is no family and the father of the child is unknown. Co-workers and friends state that while they did not know the father's identity, Petty Officer Green appeared to have no enemies. Case has run cold._

Tony sighed. No evidence made things really difficult. He glanced at the agent's signiture at the bottom of the page. Special Agent Garrett Lawson. Tony knew the agent and made a note to speak with him.

Abby scrolled through Petty Officer Green's financials. She gasped loudly.

"What?" Tony asked, rubbing his eyes, turning around.

"I found a debt. A large one." Abby said, turning to face him, "Nancy Green had huge loans taken out for medical school."

"Medical school?" Tony asked, confused, "She wasn't doing anything medical wise in the marines."

"Well, she started out there." Abby glanced at her screen, "She owed over 200 grand."

"Holy crap." Tony muttered, "Anything else?"

Abby nodded, turning back to her computer, "Here's the clincher. Starting the month she got pregnant, 2,000 dollar payments were being made from an unknown account."

"She had already made a deal with The Gifter." Tony concluded grimly.

"But something changed when she was five months along." Abby added.

"She wanted the baby." Tony finished, "Let's look for outstanding debts in all of the women."

Abby tapped quickly on her keyboard while Tony read the next file.

_Lt. Cheyenne Cabot. Age 28. Brown Hair. Green eyes. Found in her vehicle outside an Arlington strip mall, stabbed through the stomach region, by a pedestrian. The car was running. Sister-in-law Andrea Cabot informed officers that Lt. Cabot was 7 months pregnant. Crime scene investigators found only Lt. Cabot's fingerprints and one unidentified print on the stick shift. There appeared to be a small struggle. Father of the child is unknown. The Lt. was said to be single. Lt. Cabot appeared to have no known enemies. Case has run cold._

Tony grabbed Lt. Cabot's evidence box for the unidentified print.

"What do ya got?" Abby asked, hearing Tony shuffle around.

Tony rummaged through the box until he found the print. "We gotta run this unidentified print again."

Abby grabbed the small evidence bag and broke the seal to run the print again.

"I havent been able to find an outstanding debt in Lt. Cabot's financials." Abby informed Tony with a frustrated sigh.

"It could have been paid off Abs." Tony said, squeezing her wrist comfortingly.

Tony turned back to his files and picked up Col. Bethany Holton's file.

_Col. Bethany Holton. Age 22. Red hair. Blue eyes. Found in a DC allyway, stabbed through the stomach region. Discovered by homeless man. Was identified through a doctor's appointment card. Found out to be three months pregnant. No family found. Co-workers say that Col. Holton was single. Crime scene investigators found no evidence. Father of child unknown. Case has run cold._

Tony decided to take a glance at the doctor's appointment card.

"Dr. Cassie Mills." he read aloud, feeling a hunch coming on, "Abby!"

"What!" Abby said, hugging her Calf-POW!

"Dr. Cassie Mills." Tony repeated, "Can you find out if any of the others went to her?"

Abby tapped for a few moments, then let out a yell.

"Yes!" Abby jumped up and hugged Tony.

"Cant-breath Abs." Tony gasped.

Abby just happy-danced.


	30. Authors NoteSorry

Authors note: Sorry it has been so long. I've been kinda stuck cuz I feel like I'm kinda all over the place with the story and I was gone to work at Mount Rushmore where there is the absolute suckiest internet ever. But I will update soon. Thank you to those who have stuck by me.

Kim


	31. JellO

Authors Note: I am finally back and I would like to thank Gottahavemyncis for her help and ecouragement. Nothing belongs to me except the plot and Chelsea.

LINE BREAK

The next morning Gibbs rode the elevator quietly sipping his coffee. But he knew his peace and quiet was over when the doors opened to a grinning Tony and Abby.

"Gibbs!" Abby shouted, throwing her arms around Gibbs.

"Hey Boss!" Tony greeted.

"Can I get through?" Gibbs asked.

Abby and Tony quickly moved out of his way. They followed him into the bullpen.

"We got something Boss!" Tony burst out.

"I wanted to tell him!" Abby whined playfully.

Gibbs just gave them his classic glare from his desk.

"We found another connection." Tony said quickly.

"All of our victims went to a Dr. Cassie Mills." Abby added, jumping up and down.

Tony handed Gibbs the doctor's address. "How should we proceed?"

"Where is Ziva and Timmy?" Abby interrupted.

"They are coming." Gibbs answered, "Damon is watching Chelsea."

Tony and Abby looked at each other amused at the thought of big, tough Damon babysitting.

"You and Ziva go check this out." Gibbs said, as Ziva and McGee entered the bullpen, "McGee and I will push the warrants through."

Ziva turned to Tony. "Where are we going?"

Tony could barely contain himself. "I'll tell you on the way."

LINE BREAK

"So, how did you figure this out?" Ziva asked as they sped down the highway.

"Abby and I stayed up all night going over the files." Tony said, honking at a slow driver, "I just had this hunch when I read the doc's name so Abby ran with it."

"You were here all night?" Ziva asked in surprise.

"Yeah." Tony muttered, pulling into the parking lot, "We needed to find something."

It was then Ziva saw how tired Tony was.

They parked and entered the office of Dr. Cassie Mills together.

"Can I help you?" the young receptionist said with a smile.

"We need to speak with Dr. Mills." Ziva said, flashing her credentials.

While the receptionist went in the back, Ziva turned to Tony.

"How are we doing this?"

"Can I take the lead?" Tony asked hopefully.

Ziva nodded with a smile as the receptionist returned.

"Dr. Mills will see you now. Just follow me." the receptionist said to them.

Tony and Ziva followed her down the hall to Dr. Mills' office.

"Hello." greeted a good looking woman, shaking Tony and Ziva's hand, "I'm Dr. Cassie Mills, how can I help you?"

Tony stepped forward.

"We have a few questions about some of your patients." he said, sitting in a chair opposite her desk.

"I'll answer what I can without breaking doctor-patient confideciality." she responded.

Ziva sighed. Tony gave a list of the victims to her.

"Were all these women your patients?" Tony asked.

Dr. Mills put on some glasses and read the list.

"I can neither confirm or deny that these women were my patients."

There was a knock at the door.

"Enter." Dr. Mills called.

"Agent McGee, doctor." the receptionist said, McGee behind her.

"Thank you Rachel."

"This is Special Agent McGee." Tony introduced.

"I have the warrants." McGee said, holding up seven folded up papers.

Dr. Mills took the warrants from McGee and glanced over them.

"Dr. Mills." Ziva said impatiently.

The doctor sighed, stood and opened several filing cabinets that lined the walls behind her desk. She extracted the files.

"There." she handed the files to Tony.

McGee pulled out another warrant.

"What's that for?" Dr. Mills asked.

Tony and Ziva asked the same question silently.

"Our lead agent would like the files on you and all your employees." McGee explained, "Including the names of any cleaning, plumbing, grounds keeping services and temps."

Now Dr. Mills looked a little ticked. But she did what she was told.

"She didn't seem too happy." Ziva commented as Tony drove them back to the naval base.

"Not at all." Tony responded, happy that his and Abby's idea may have panned out.

LINE BREAK

Damon sighed. He had FINALLY gotten Chelsea to lay down for a nap.

"Day?"

Damon squeezed his eyes shut. Or not.

"Chelsea." he whined, picking her up, "You HAVE to take a nap."

She just giggled and tugged on his ear.

"Please?" Damon begged.

"Ello." Chelsea demanded.

"Fine." Damon conceded, "We'll get some Jell-O."

Chelsea clapped her hands.

"Wuv you." she said, throwing her arms around his neck.

Damon smiled. What the hell?

"Love you too kid."

LINE BREAK

"Alright." Gibbs said, from his desk, "Take fifteen."

Abby, Tony, Ziva, and Tony all groaned in relief. For the past four hours they had been scouring the files of the victims and the doctors office employees.

"Take a walk?"

Ziva looked up to see McGee holding out his hand.

Tony made gagging noised till Abby slapped the back of his head.

Ziva smiled and grasped his hand.

"I would love to."

LINE BREAK

It was a nice day outside. McGee and Ziva strolled to the grassy courtyard and sat on a bench.

"I really hope all this cracks the case." McGee said tiredly, putting his arm around Ziva.

"Me too." she yawned.

"Should we call Damon?" McGee grinned.

Ziva laughed and leaned into him.

"There might be more stories if we wait." Ziva giggled, something she felt comfortable to do around him.

Both their phones buzzed. They mutually rolled their eyes. Gibbs.

LINE BREAK

After another two hours, Tony jumped up.

"I found something!"

They all stopped what they were doing and crowded around Tony's desk.

"Dr. Mills used Clean Machine cleaning company." he explained, putting stuff up on the screen, "And one of their employees was Greg Chesnee."

"Who's that?" McGee asked.

Tony put up a picture.

"Kyle Rush."


	32. Their Little Girl

Authors Note: Here's some more. I've been feeling more inspired.

LINE BREAK

"We have GOT to find this guy." McGee groaned.

"This is getting annoying." Ziva added.

"GIBBS!"

The team jumped at the yell of Jenny. She was thundering down the stairs as fast as her stilettos would allow.

"What is it Jen?" Gibbs asked, all formality forgotten at the urgency in her voice.

She skidded to a halt in front of them.

"He has her."

"Who has who?" Tony asked.

"The killer." Jen took in a sharp breath, "He has Chelsea."

"No." McGee whispered, frozen.

Ziva grabbed his and Tony's hand.

"Let's go!" Gibbs yelled, knowing he needed to remain professional.

"What about Damon!" Tony managed to ask as they gathered their gear.

"He's in the hospital!" Jen called over the ruckus, "He was shot!"

Ziva stopped and stared at the Director.

"He's gonna live. Go!"

The team hurried to the elevator and ran to their cars, Tony and Ziva in one, Gibbs and McGee in the other.

"McGee." Gibbs said as they sped out of the garage.

McGee numbly looked at him.

"I need you to stay with me." Gibbs said quietly and in a rare moment of visible compassion, he clapped his hand on McGee's shoulder, "We're gonna get her back."

McGee nodded and swallowed the lump in his throat. He had to do this. For Chelsea. For Ziva. For their family.

LINE BREAK

There was already police tape up at Gibbs' house. They all jumped out of their vehicles. There was a cop waiting for them.

"What do you got?" Gibbs asked the officer.

For once, an officer was cooperative.

"A neighbor heard shots and shouting an hour ago and called police." he led Gibbs towards the house, "Police and EMT arrived five minutes later and found an adult male shot in the chest, but still alive. He was able to inform us that a little girl had been taken."

"Has an Amber Alert been issued?" Gibbs interrupted.

"Yes sir." the officer glanced at his notes, "On a three year old blond haired-blue eyed female. We determined that the suspect or suspects broke through the front door with the intention of taking the child."

Gibbs nodded. He thanked the officer and entered the crime scene, his own house. The team was already hard at work.

"McGee."

"Yes Boss?" McGee said.

"I want you to go to the hospital and talk to Werth."

McGee opened his mouth to object but was interrupted.

"He could tell us a lot."

McGee nodded.

LINE BREAK

McGee quickly found Damon's room and was glad to find him awake and lucid. He quickly asked if Damon could remember anything.

"It was Kyle." Damon said, grimacing as he tried to sit up a little higher, "Kyle and another guy."

"Did you see what he looked like?"

Damon looked very upset.

"My step-sister's fiancé."

McGee looked at him in surprise.

"Are you sure?"

Damon nodded.

"He wore a mask, but his tattoo on his arm was clear."

McGee flipped open his phone.

"Boss put a BOLO out for Colonel Thomas Gray."

LINE BREAK

It was starting to rain. It was as if Mother Nature knew the gravity of the situation.

"Tony! Ziva!" Gibbs shouted from the porch.

They both came running.

"It's Colonel Thomas Grey."

"Laurie Wendell's fiancé?" Tony asked.

Gibbs nodded.

"Where would they take her?" Ziva asked in a small voice.

Gibbs pressed a button on his phone.

"Abby."

They could hear screaming coming out of the phone.

"_What the hell is going on Gibbs! Jenny won't tell me anything!"_

"Abs. I need you to calm down and find out all the properties one Colonel Thomas Gray owns."

"_I swear Gibbs, I won't do a damn thing until someone tells me what all this panic is about."_

Gibbs sighed.

"Chelsea has been taken. That's-"

"_OMYGOD! OMYGOD! OMY-"_

"Abby!" he barked, "If you want to help, find out that information."

"_Ok. Ok. I can and I WILL do this. Yes sir. OMYGOD."_

Gibbs hung up as McGee screeched into his driveway.

"What's next?" Tony asked.

Gibbs' phone rang as McGee hurried through the pouring rain to join them.

"Gibbs. What do you got Abs?"

"_He owns three properties. His home. His storage house. And an abandoned truck loading dock."_

"Thanks Abby."

"_Please find her. Please."_

Gibbs hung up the phone after getting the loading dock address.

"Lets go."

LINE BREAK

By the time Gibbs and the team arrived at the loading dock, it was raining really hard. Gibbs turned to McGee who had goggles that could see heat through building walls.

"They're in there Boss." McGee growled.

The team attached their mikes and earpieces.

"McGee and I will take the front." Gibbs spoke into his wrist mike, "You two take the back."

They got out of their cars and silently made their way to their marks.

McGee could hear the two men talking.

"Is the brat going to wake up?" Gray asked.

"She's drugged up good." Kyle laughed, "She won't wake up until the buyer comes."

McGee gripped his gun harder.

"Easy." Gibbs murmured.

The men continued talking. Gibbs nodded slightly at McGee.

"Go."

Both teams burst in the doors. Kyle and Gray both attempted to shoot the agents but were quickly disarmed.

"Find her." Gibbs told McGee and Ziva.

They both ran to another room and found Chelsea sprawled on a paper bag.

"Call the medics." McGee called, taking the little girl into his arms.

And finally cried.


	33. The Ride of Their Life

Authors Note: Enjoy. Nothing belongs to me except the plot and little Chelsea.

LINE BREAK

The night sky was lit up by the lights of police cars and EMT's. Gibbs and Tony maneuvered the two men into their cars while McGee and Ziva stayed with Chelsea as the paramedic looked over her.

"Is she going to be alright?" Ziva asked, gripping McGee's hand tightly.

The paramedic nodded.

"She was given a large dose of an adult sleeping medicine." he said as they hoisted her into the ambulance, "She will be groggy for a little bit when she wakes up, but she will be fine. We will take her to the hospital for observation."

"Can we come?" McGee pleaded.

At the paramedic's nod, they both climbed in on either side of Chelsea. They each took one of her tiny hands and sat in a melancholy silence.

"Marry me."

Ziva nearly choked on the air she was breathing.

"Wha-What?"

"Marry me Ziva." McGee looked as though he were about to break down, "I don't want to lose you. I love you. I love her. I love us. Please, be my wife."

Ziva opened and closed her mouth in disbelief.

"Ziva." her name came out of his mouth in a strangled sound.

"Yes."

"What?"

"Yes Tim," Ziva said, reaching across the bed to claim his free hand, "I will marry you."

McGee smiled for the first time that night and squeezed her hand. The ambulance came to a stop. They both let out a sigh of relief. They were at Bethesda.

LINE BREAK

Chelsea was settled in the children's ward not five minutes when McGee and Ziva heard the thundering of platform boots and angry shushing nurses.

McGee stepped out of the room to flag Abby down before she got into anymore trouble.

"Where is she! Where is my baby!" Abby yelled, squeezing the life out of McGee.

He just pointed into the room, exhaling as Abby released him. He followed her into Chelsea's room where Abby was fussing and cooing over the little girl's sleeping form.

"Is she gonna wake up?" Abby asked, maneuvering herself next to Chelsea on the bed.

"Yes, Abby," Ziva assured her with a smile, "She will. Everything will be fine."

Abby watched as Ziva's eyes met McGee's.

"No Way!" Abby shouted, she was never good at the 'inside voice' thing.

The other two jumped at her outburst.

"You asked her to marry you!"

They both looked at the pig-tailed girl in surprise.

"Please." Abby rolled her eyes, "I could see this coming a mile away."

A knock on the door prevented them from making any remarks.

"Hey." Tony walked in with a bandaged up Damon behind him.

"Where is Gibbs?" Ziva asked.

"Here." came the gruff response followed by a Scottish accent, "Jethro, seriously, it would not kill you to be polite."

"The whole family is here!" Abby gushed, "You guys can tell them that-"

"Abby!" McGee and Ziva shouted.

"This is a hospital folks." the director stepped into the room, Jimmy Palmer beside her, "Please keep it down."

"Fine." Abby huffed.

"Mommy."

They all looked down to see Chelsea rubbing her eyes with her tiny fists.

"Chelsea!" McGee and Ziva rushed to the bed.

"Daddy."

Tears sprang to McGee's eyes.

"Daddy's here."

Chelsea's eyes roamed around the room, taking each family member in.

"Gibby!"

Gibbs shuffled his feet and cleared his throat.

"Dino!"

Tony came up and gave her a noisy kiss on her tummy. She giggled.

She said hi to everyone until she got to Damon.

"Day. I wuv you."

Damon couldn't speak, he was so emotional. Instead, he took her in his arms and rocked her. He felt a hand on his shoulder.

"See?" McGee said, "She doesn't blame you."

"Neither do we." Ziva added.

"Ok." Abby jumped off the bed, "Enough sadness. McGee, Ziva TELL them!"

"Tell us what?" Damon asked.

McGee had turned several shades of scarlet.

"I-uh-we-well-" McGee floundered.

"Tim asked me to marry him." Ziva supplied with a smile.

"What!" Tony was startled.

"And I said yes."

"What!"

Ziva kissed McGee softly. Congratulations came from around the room, except for Tony who seemed to be stuck.

"What!"

Gibbs smacked him after the seventh what.

LINE BREAK

The next day, Chelsea was released from the hospital. The small family got their belongings from Gibbs' place and moved back to Ziva's place. Chelsea had gone down for a nap when McGee heard a smashing sound in the kitchen. His stomach sinking, he ran into the kitchen only to find an angry Ziva.

"Zee?" he approached slowly, knowing Ziva.

"He will not stop calling!" she hissed.

"Who?"

"Tony!" Ziva growled, "And all he says is 'What!'"

McGee chuckled and took her in his arms and held her till she relaxed.

"How do you do that?" she murmured.

"Do what?"

"Calm me down."

"It's easy." McGee answered, kissing her forehead, "I love you."

"I-"

They were interrupted by another crash at the front door. They were about to grab their guns, but stopped when they heard a familiar voice.

"I DID NOT say it was necessary to kick their door in!" Abby screeched.

"But-"

"No buts Tony. Now you don't get cake."

"I'm not 4."

McGee and Ziva just stared at the spectacle happening before them.

Abby glanced at them.

"You're probably wondering why we're here."

McGee nodded slowly.

"We are taking over so you can have a date."

"A date?" Ziva said, "I'm confused. We're already engaged."

Tony opened his mouth.

"If you say 'what' I'm going to kill you." Ziva hissed.

"Ziva, engaged couples can date too." Abby happily explained, "Just as long as it's with each other."

McGee shrugged.

"Will you be my date Ziva?"

"Always and forever."

"Oh, yuck. OW! Abby!"

"Tony you are a child."

"Just not here." Ziva whispered, kissing McGee's nose.

LINE BREAK

Authors note: So this was sort of the end, but there will be several epilogues. Thanks for reading.


	34. Wedding day Epilogue 1

Ziva sighed as she looked at herself in the floor length mirror. She looked beautiful. Her olive green dress fit her every curve and brought out her eyes. Her hair was up, but loose, letting a few strands curl around her face. She was getting married in a half hour. Oh, she was thrilled. She loved Tim with all her heart and the little girl they were going to adopt in four days. All her friends were there and supporting her. But she felt a little sad. She wished her mother was alive to see her now. And her sister. Even her brother, before he became what he became. But what bothered her the most was that her father wouldn't walk her down the aisle. A knock interrupted her thoughts.

"Ziver."

"Gibbs." Ziva said, turning back to the mirror, trying not to cry, "He-he wouldn't come."

Gibbs stood behind her. He was spiffed up in a suit and tie and looked very uncomfortable.

"Ziver," he cleared his throat, "I would be hon-honored to walk you down the aisle."

Ziva let out a sob and threw herself into his arms.

"I don't have to."

Ziva let out a laugh and kissed his cheek.

"I would love for you to walk me down the aisle."

LINE BREAK

McGee adjusted and readjusted his tie. He was ready for the ceremony to begin. But he still had a half hour. And Tony, Jimmy, and Damon were not helping things.

"Dude," Damon said, from the leather couch that was in the room, "You are gonna wear that tie out."

McGee turned from the mirror to give his best man a glare. But before he could say anything the door opened.

"Timmy!"

Sarah McGee had arrived. She had been in Italy to study literature.

His sister enveloped him in a huge hug.

"I can't believe it!" she squealed, "My brother is getting married!"

She noticed the others around the room.

"Tony! Jimmy!"

She ran to hug them, but paused in front of Damon. He was staring at the ball of energy in front of him.

"Who are you?"

"Sarah, this is Damon Werth." McGee introduced, "Damon, this is my sister Sarah."

"Hey." Damon choked out.

"Hey." she said shyly.

Tony started humming the wedding song. McGee turned his glare to him. Tony threw his hands up with a grin. Jimmy just stared at a picture of a cross.

McGee sighed. Time needed to speed up.

LINE BREAK

McGee stood nervously at the alter. Tony, Damon, Ducky, and Jimmy stood next to him. He glanced at the pastor and the rabbi they brought in to incorporate Ziva's faith. They both had encouraging smiles. Then he heard the music. Abby, Jenny, Cynthia, and Sarah walked down the aisle, led by little Chelsea dressed in sleek olive green. She tossed the flowers gleefully. Then he saw her. She was beautiful in her olive green dress. Her arm was hooked with Gibbs' as she floated down the aisle.

"Who gives this woman?" the pastor asked.

"I do." Gibbs said with a smile.

Ziva hugged him, kissed him on the cheek and came to stand beside McGee.

McGee couldn't tell anyone what happened after that. Sure, he said the right words, made the right motions, but all he could think about was how lucky he was.

"You may kiss your bride." the rabbi said.

So he did.

"Ladies and gentlemen…" the pastor said over the cheers, "Mr. and Mrs. Timothy McGee!"

McGee and Ziva just stood there and smiled. McGee's father brought Chelsea up to them.

"Yay!" she cried from McGee's arms.

From the mouths of babes.

LINE BREAK

Authors note: this is just the first epilogue. Hang in for more.


	35. Welcome To The Family

Once again, everyone was dressed to the nines. This time they stood in the courthouse outside their assigned courtroom. McGee and Ziva were adopting Chelsea. Finally. Ziva had dressed her in a floral dress with little pink Mary Jane's. Ziva loved dressing Chelsea up. Ducky thought maybe it was because she didn't get to play with dolls much as a child. McGee was holding Chelsea while Tony attempted to get her to giggle. Gibbs was in deep conversation with Ducky and Jen. Jimmy was just arriving with Abby right behind him. Damon was all wrapped up in Sarah. Ziva smiled. Her sister-in-law was falling in love.

"You may enter." a courtroom clerk said, opening the chamber doors.

McGee took Ziva's hand and smiled at her. Ziva felt so nervous. The group filed in and sat down. McGee and Ziva sat up front, holding Chelsea.

"All rise for the honorable Judge Mikowski."

They all stood as a kind-looking middle-aged man entered the room.

"You may sit."

The judge shuffled some papers around.

"Wow." he said, "This is an unusual case."

Everyone had to laugh. Boy, was that the truth.

"Timothy and Ziva McGee, please stand." the judge said.

They nervously stood.

"I have reviewed your background checks, your latest investigation, and your relationship with Chelsea." the judge said, "And I have come to the conclusion that you are fit to become Chelsea's legal parents."

The judge struck his gavel.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Chelsea McGee." he paused, "Is there a middle name you would like on the birth certificate?"

McGee and Ziva smiled at each other.

"Laurie."

Damon gasped. They were giving Chelsea his stepsister's name. Once again, he became emotional.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I hereby declare Timothy and Ziva McGee the legal parents of Chelsea Laurie McGee." the judge announced, striking the gavel once again.

Ziva and McGee hugged and kissed Chelsea while everyone gathered around.

"Damon." McGee said.

"Yeah?"

McGee smiled and looked at Ziva.

"We would like you to be Chelsea's godfather."

Damon looked shocked.

"What? Really?"

"Yes Damon." Ziva said with a smile.

"Yay! Day!" Chelsea babbled from McGee's arms.

Damon smiled and took her from McGee.

"I'd be honored."

Ziva turned to Abby.

"Yes!" the black haired girl said before Ziva could speak, "I will totally be Chelsea's fairy godmother."

"Fairy?" Ziva was once again confused.

"I'll explain later." McGee said with a laugh, putting his arm around his wife.

"What does a fairy have to do with anything?"

McGee just grinned and kissed Ziva.

"I love you."

"I love you too." Ziva responded, but she still looked confused.

"There is a feast waiting for us back at my house." Ducky announced, "Shall we continue the celebration there?"

Everyone filed out of the courthouse in excitement.

LINE BREAK

"You are a very loved little girl." Tony informed Chelsea as she stuffed some watermelon in her little mouth.

"Yep." she said, some juice dribbling down her face.

Tony laughed and wiped her face off, something she still hated.

Chelsea watched with big blue eyes as her family flitted around her. She didn't know much at three years old, but she knew what her uncle Dino had said was true.

"I wuv you!" she shouted.

"Awww…we love you too." Abby cooed.

McGee looked at his daughter. He couldn't believe he was a father. Or a husband for that matter. And he married the most beautiful women in the world.

"How'd I do that?"

"How'd you do what?" Tony asked his best friend.

McGee realized he had spoken aloud. He chuckled.

"How'd I get Ziva?"

Tony made a face and slapped McGee on the back.

"I have no clue McLame."

McGee rolled his eyes. Some things would never change. He heard someone tapping a fork against a glass.

"I would like to propose a toast." Ducky said, standing at the head of the table.

They all stood.

"To family, friends and little girls that capture our hearts," Ducky began theatrically, "congratulations to Timothy and Ziva and Chelsea."

They all cheered, hoping to avoid a Ducky monologue. Luckily, he seemed to be finished.

Ziva put her arm around her husband and watched the only real family she'd ever known. All she could think about was that Chelsea would have a family and would be loved. Just like she already was.

LINE BREAK

Authors Note: Sorry the court scene was a little thin, I was nine when we adopted my little brother, so I only remember a few things. Up Next: Epilogue 3.


	36. Chelsea, Tell Me You Love Me

Authors Note: Well this is it folks. I cant believe it. I may do a side story of life with Chelsea. Thank you to all who have read and reviewed. I don't own anything but Chelsea and the plot. The song is Chelsea by The Summer Set.

LINE BREAK

The high school auditorium was buzzing with excitement. It was the annual talent show and 17-year-old Chelsea McGee was in it.

"Guys!" Ziva waved to Abby and her husband Lance, "Over here!"

Gibbs, Tony, Damon and his wife Sarah (McGee) were already seated in a row towards the front with their six year old daughter Katie. Ducky was at the end in his wheelchair. Where his body had failed him, his mind had not. He was currently in deep discussion with Jimmy and his wife. Jenny came and sat down next to her husband. Yes, Gibbs got a fourth and final wife. Tony still remained a bachelor, but was getting pretty serious with his girlfriend Grace.

"I cant wait to see what Chelsea's boyfriend can do!" Abby exclaimed, easing her way into a chair as she was five months pregnant.

All the men in Chelsea's life groaned at the mention of her boyfriend. He was a singer and Chelsea was playing the guitar in his band.

"Hush! All of you!" Ziva scolded, "He's a nice boy."

"Yeah!" Jenny added, "And she knew that without having to stare him down."

Gibbs looked away.

"Or give him death threats." Sarah added with a glare at her husband.

"Or quiz him on his knowledge of movies." Abby added, poking Tony.

"Or do an in-depth background check on him." Ziva finished, pinching McGee.

The men had the good sense to look guilty.

"Where are Tali and Jason?" McGee asked.

Ziva pursed her lips and looked around. Their thirteen year old daughter and seven year old son were nowhere to be found.

"I told them to stay with us."

"Mom!"

"Tali! I told you-"

The young brown haired beauty put her hand up. McGee smiled. So much like her mother.

"I know. I know. But we're here now."

The lights in the auditorium dimmed.

"Both of you sit and be quiet." Ziva commanded, sitting down next to McGee.

The principle took the stage.

"Welcome all to Webster High School's annual talent show. I am pleased to announce our first act…The Wild Night's!"

The crowd cheered as Mac Knight took the stage with Chelsea and the others.

"Hey everybody!" the blond cutie said, "This song goes out to my girlfriend Chelsea!"

Ziva could feel all the men tense and rolled her eyes.

"Five, six, seven, eight!"

_Let's take this back two thousand five Drinks are pouring, girls so fine So many dimes, got dollars signs And there she goes right on the spot Got a taste so sweet I swear this beat Will make you wanna drop She wears a new __dress__ everyday No, she won't stop making the crowd scream I can't hear anything, but hey, hey It's Miss L.A. again, again_

_Chelsea, Chelsea, tell me you love me Chelsea, Chelsea, are you feeling me now? Chelsea, Chelsea, I think it's 'bout time We get down, get down, I want more I wrote her a song Not Delilah, not Kelsey Had 'em both in my palm But I dropped them for Chelsea Hey, hey, what'd you say You've been looking good today Let's go around town I'll tell the girls that I'm taken Chelsea, Chelsea, tell me you love me Chelsea, Chelsea, are you feeling me now? Chelsea, Chelsea, I think it's 'bout time We get down, get down There ain't no stopping us now Get down, get down, I want more And if it's worth your time, I've got ten digits I'd like you to find But no, I won't get that call You've got so much to give I've got nothing at all Chelsea, Chelsea, tell me you love me Chelsea, Chelsea, are you feeling me now? Chelsea, Chelsea, I think it's 'bout time We get down, get down There ain't no stopping us now Get down, get down, I want more Chelsea, Chelsea, tell me you love me_

_Chelsea, Chelsea, are you feeling me now? Chelsea, Chelsea, I think it's 'bout time We get down, get down There ain't no stopping us now Chelsea, Chelsea, tell me you love me Chelsea, Chelsea, are you feeling me now? Chelsea, Chelsea, I think it's 'bout time We get down, get down There ain't no stopping us now Get down, get down, I want more _The crowd roared as the song came to an end.

"Thank you!"

Chelsea set down her guitar and ran to her boyfriend and kissed him.

When she heard the shouts of objection, she knew where her family was.

"Oh for heavens sake." she cried.

LINE BREAK

As soon as the show ended, Chelsea ran to her parents.

"Mom! Dad!"

She hugged them, then the rest of her family.

"You were wonderful!" Abby shouted, squeezing her.

"Yeah, great job Chel-belle." Tony added.

"Thanks Dino." Chelsea said, she still called him that.

"Not bad dork." Tali added.

"Shut up T." Chelsea glared at her sister.

"Enough." Gibbs barked, giving Chelsea a small hug.

Chelsea squeezed back.

"Thanks grandpa."

Gibbs smiled. He was so happy when Chelsea started calling him that. So did Tali and Jason. He never thought he would get to hear that after Kelly died. But Ziva was like his daughter. Katie Werth called him that too. Damon was like his son just like Tony and McGee. He couldn't wait until Abby had her son. He loved being a grandfather.

Mac was walking over to them.

"Easy boys." Jen warned.

"Hi everybody." he said, coming to put his arm around Chelsea, covinently missing McGee's glare.

Abby hugged him.

"You were great sweetie."

Ziva elbowed McGee.

"Yeah, uh, really great." McGee said, unenthused.

Chelsea rolled her eyes.

"Dad, can Mac go out to dinner with us?" she asked, giving him the puppy eyes.

McGee melted. His girls had the best puppy eyes.

"Fine."

"How does she do that?" Jason asked Jimmy, who shrugged.

LINE BREAK

They all met up at restaurant close to the school. Chelsea looked at the size of her family and smiled. They were so strange. Chelsea knew what had happened to her real mom and sometimes she felt sad about it. But she loved the mom and dad she got. And the family that came with them. Granted she would love to kill her brother and sister sometimes, but that was normal. But she knew she was loved all around. She knew her uncle Damon almost died for her, and secretly, he was her favorite uncle.

She had a great life. Great family, great friends, and amazing boyfriend. He could withstand her father, uncles and grandfathers. Now that itself made him a keeper.

Chelsea felt Mac take her hand. She also felt several pairs of eyes on them. She sighed. She was just going to have to deal with it.

"I love you guys!" she called.

"We love you too Chelsea!" the family chorused back.

"I love you Mac." she whispered.

"I love you to Chels." Mac whispered back.

McGee was watching them.

"What do you think they're whispering about?" he asked Ziva.

"Leave them alone." she hissed back.

McGee smiled. He loved getting a rise out of her. All was as it should be.


	37. End Note Please read!

Just a note to let you all know that the sequel to this story is up. It is called Living Life With Chelsea. This was my very first story and I promise the new one is much better. Please read and review.


End file.
